Bates Community Development Corp (BCDC) is a nonprofit that provides social services to the community for the purpose of combating blight and deterioration in Louisville. They have several programs to “compassionately meet human needs”, one of which is a Dare to Care food program. Recently BCDC was the recipient of a high tunnel greenhouse through the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) with the intention of using it to grow food and teaching children gardening skills during their summer camps. The staff at BCDC had little to know experience gardening and as a result, they reached out Agent Stephen Lewis for some assistance on how to get the garden started. The ground still needed tilling and they needed to find water tanks so that Jefferson County Soil and Water could install the irrigation system.

Agent Lewis met with the director of BCDC and conducted a quick walkthrough of the high tunnel to access the needs of the area. We decided that we would till half the area of the greenhouse and use the remaining space to install a hydroponic garden demonstration. A week later, he returned with some community volunteers from his urban agriculture-training program and began prepping the area. He and the volunteers tilled the ground and covered the area with composted horse manure and straw mulch. They mulched a walking path and installed the hydroponic bed. Agent Lewis also provided them with a second water tank and Jefferson County soil and water installed the irrigation system that attached to the tanks. Afterwards, the staff at BCDC were given some suggestions on what plants to grow for the season and where to get them. Staff and volunteers scheduled a day to plant the garden.

The results of the garden were more than anyone expected. After 6 weeks, with little to no garden maintenance by the staff, Agent Lewis scheduled a day to harvest produce that coincided with BCDC Friday Dare to Care food distribution program. Agent Lewis, BCDC staff and a community volunteer harvested about loads of Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard, lettuce and cilantro. The staff and volunteers cleaned the produce and made 75 bags of leafy greens that they gave away during their Dare to Care food distribution event.

Irrigation installation

https://www.facebook.com/1578222006/videos/10217033220574202/

Garden Harvest

https://www.facebook.com/1578222006/videos/10217392515276345/

Dare to care event

https://www.facebook.com/valerie.c.moore.9/videos/10214626874847504/