The Lawrence County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) assistant has developed a partnership with the local Housing Authority in Lawrence County to establish 11 raised bed gardens.

Due to the COVID pandemic, a large number of the tenants at the Housing Authority were unable to be in public because of their age and other health concerns. With this knowledge in mind, the SNAP-Ed assistant decided to personally plant the vegetable plants in the raised bed gardens this year. This was done to insure that the tenants would be able to continue to have some fresh vegetables throughout the summer despite the pandemic.

While planting, a resident of the Housing Authority (a young boy) approached the SNAP-Ed assistant. He asked the SNAP-Ed assistant about “Tommy Toe Tomatoes,” stating that they were his favorite. Upon his request, the SNAP-ED assistant purchased a pot of the “Tommy Toe Tomatoes” for the boy to tend himself. He way very excited about growing the tomatoes explaining, “I’m going to grow these and eat them all by myself.” In addition to tomatoes the raised bed gardens also provided cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and squash for the residents of the Housing Authority to grow and enjoy.