The Covid-19 Pandemic caused many world-wide problems.  The community of Lotts Creek in Knott County Kentucky was especially affected by the pandemic.  Senior citizens could no longer safely shop for groceries and every day necessities.  Daily essentials were in short supply.  Community members were laid off from jobs and many close to retirement permanently lost jobs.  They became isolated from neighbors, family and friends.  Not only loneliness but a feeling of despair dampened the community. 

To help alleviate some of these issues’ community gardens were planted.  The FCS agent helped guide a group of neighbors in this community with planting, taking care of the gardens and processing the food from these gardens.  The FCS agents and 4 men worked in the gardens.  Two of the men had never farmed before.  About an acre of gardens were planted in corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and watermelons. 

The same group worked together following the FCS agent’s guidance to correctly process the food.  120 quarts of beans were frozen, 60 quarts and 24 pints of beans were canned, 40 quarts of tomato juice, 16 cans of salsa, 120 ears of corn were frozen, 146 pints of corn was frozen, corn was also dried to be taken to the mill to be processed into corn meal.  The food grown was not limited to these few families, it was shared throughout the neighborhood with other senior citizens and young families.  Around 20 families received food.