Robertson County has many underserved audiences, one of which is the senior citizens. We have a senior center in our community that is an essential part to their everyday lives. They serve 3 meals a week there, and the number of attendance averages 25 people. Our senior program provides Farmer’s Market vouchers that allow some of them to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables, but some would like to opportunity to grow their own. 

In the summer of 2019, I reached out to the local senior citizen’s program (Licking Valley CAP) about putting two raised gardens by their building for the seniors to have access to fresh vegetables. They agreed and loved the idea! I then went and visited with the seniors while they were eating lunch one day and told them about the idea and how it would benefit them. The overall concept was very well received, therefore I began planning. I put together 2 raised beds with the help of some volunteers that were 3 feet off the ground so that they would not have to bend over to care for the gardens.

The Robertson County FFA Greenhouse graciously donated the plants for this project, therefore the only cost was that to build the beds and the soil. We picked out three vegetables that would be easy to grow in a raised bed and that the seniors would be able to enjoy once the vegetables were harvested. In one of the beds we put tomato plants, and the other we put pepper (banana and bell) and cucumber plants. 

So that there could be an additional education aspect to this project, I went and gave a lesson over alternative gardening and how they can utilize raised beds at their homes. We then went out and planted all of the vegetables together. Over the course of the summer, the senior’s received numerous harvests off of those plants. They used the vegetables in their meals at the senior center and also was able to take some home with them. 

This project went over so well that they have requested additional raised beds next year and have already started planning what they would like to be planted in them. Overall if was a very easy project that made a huge impact on an underserved audience in our community. This allowed them to get access to fresh vegetables at a place they are at, at least 2 days a week. Because of the success, I will continue to do this project and hopefully let it grow year after year. Next year, I plan to incorporate Learn, Grow, Eat, Go curriculum with the youth and have them assist with the raised beds to create a cross cultural experience for both the seniors and the youth of Robertson County.