Can community gardens combat food insecurity? This nonprofit says yes.
Rain poured in downtown Rochester, but that failed to stop Chris Fernandez and Olivia Morrison from planting seeds they hope will grow.
The duo is part of Culture Society, a nonprofit that installs raised garden beds in communities needing better access to fresh and healthy food. The group's current installation is for Breaking All Barriers, a child care center located inside the Mercantile on Main. Breaking All Barriers tends to children between the ages of 18 months and 12 years old.
Fernandez, 24, a recent SUNY Cortland graduate who leads the nonprofit Culture Society, said he wanted to use his degree in anthropology to make a difference.
"When you study humanity, you see a lot of problems with it," Fernandez said. "The big problem we're seeing now is food insecurity. We're trying to address it any way we can."
TaMeeka Wilson, 33, director of Breaking All Barriers, said she hopes the community garden will foster learning experiences for the children.
"I think fruits and vegetables are really important for the children to learn about," Wilson said. "Especially while they're young because they're curious. It's a nice opportunity to broaden their horizon."
How Culture Society cultivates community gardens in Rochester, NY
On that rainy Saturday afternoon, Culture Society's vice president Morrison, 20, attempted to stay dry while cutting the grass near the old Sibley building as she and Fernandez prepared a new install.
Morrison, who grew up in the nearby town of Albion, New York and also attended SUNY Cortland, said she has witnessed unsustainable practices at large-scale farms. That's an aspect of growing up in a rural community that she said motivates her work with the Culture Society.
"Volunteering was always encouraged in my family, and I was looking for ways to make a difference," Morrison said.
The process begins when a sponsor donates money or the supplies needed to install the garden, picking a bed size and location. Fernandez and his team then install the garden bed and ensure the recipient has the necessary means and knowledge to cultivate food through the growing season.
Morrison says the future of Culture Society is about educating the youth.
"Our goal is to make sure the younger generation is learning sustainable health practices that aren't taught."
What community gardens can contribute to neighborhoods in Rochester, NY
According to the National Library of Medicine, community gardens can reduce food insecurity, improve dietary intake and strengthen family relationships.
Culture Society distributes donated food to the Rochester community at the end of every gardening season. Fernandez said that one of Culture Society's 8 feet by 4 feet raised garden beds can regularly produce 60 pounds of potatoes.
Wilson said that many kids who live in the city rely on summer programs like Culture Society's to get additional meals when school is not in session.
A few weeks after Culture Society installed the garden bed at Breaking All Barriers, the organization was permitted to convert a city-owned vacant lot at 7 Evergreen St. into a community garden.
The nonprofit cleaned the lot, trimmed the trees, painted fence posts, and installed five raised beds, naming the space "Flower City Milpa Community Garden."
It is open to the public from dawn to dusk.
Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY community gardens by Culture Society tackle food deserts
