Liberty Place is a women’s drug rehabilitation center located in Madison County, Kentucky. Residents live at the facility. The average stay is nine months.

For the past four years, the Madison County Cooperative Extension Agent for Horticulture has worked with residents on a gardening project at the facility. The Agent does an initial gardening class for interested participants in March. After the classroom portion of the meeting, residents get hands on experience by planting seeds and plants in the raised bed gardens behind their facility. After that initial meeting, residents who are interested in the project and have advanced through the recovery program are assigned to the Garden Club. The Garden Club members are responsible for the care and maintenance of the garden. The club members rotate being captain of the group.

Throughout the growing season, the Agent or a Master Gardener meets with the Garden Club once a week to check on the garden and work with the residents on continuing their gardening education. The captain of the Garden Club reports any issues or problems to the Agent or Master Gardener.

New this year, the Agent was able to take part in a NEP Recovery Center Garden Pilot Program. Part of the program was to weigh and keep track of how much produce was grown at the center. The project began in mid March and lasted until mid October. During the eight-month gardening period, the project yielded 287 pounds of produce which included: lettuce, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, peas, beans and herbs. All of this produce was used in the kitchens and cafeteria at Liberty Place.