The drug epidemic in Eastern Kentucky has been on the steady rise in the last 10 years and the number of addiction recovery facilities in Lawrence County alone have doubled. Lawrence County Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Assistant has been working in the recovery centers for nine years.  The EFNEP Assistant teaches residents how to make healthier food choices; prepare fresh produce; and follow food safety practices. Eight years ago, the residents built their first raised-beds at the 1st facility with funding from the Lawrence County Cooperative Extension Service.This year the Lawrence County ANR Agent partnered with both Lawrence County NEP Assistants to expand the raised-bed gardens at five (5) addiction recovery centers in Lawrence County. They received a grant of $1,500.00 through the Nutrition Education Program to build new raised-beds at the centers.  The grant included vegetable plants and supplies to successfully grow fresh fruits and vegetables. With this grant, the ANR Agent and NEP Assistants constructed eleven 4 x 8 raised-beds. The residents filled the raised-beds with gardening soil and planted tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.
The recovery center residents maintain the raised-beds, harvest the produce, and prepare the produce for meals. Besides the health benefits from the consumption of produce, these residents are learning the basics of gardening. They are also staying physically active when they tend to the gardens, and in return they are learning responsibility, team work, and healthy ways of relieving stress.
The Lawrence County ANR Agent and NEP Assistants are continually working with the facilities by overseeing the raised-beds through the growing season. Plans are underway for planting and harvesting fall crops. EFNEP has enrolled eighteen residents into the Healthy Choices for Every Body program. To date, residents have harvested approximately 116 pounds of produce this summer.