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The Big Spring Master Gardener Association (BSMGA) of Greene County established a demo garden on Monday, July 25, 2011 via a partnership between the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County. Initially, this partnership was made possible via a H.E.A.L. (Healthy Eating, Active Living) Appalachia Grant.
HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Appalachia was established in 2008 as a collaborative effort between Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) and East Tennessee State University (ETSU) to build momentum in the fight against childhood obesity in Southern Appalachia. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), obesity has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Why is this significant? Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and social and emotional issues related to poor self-esteem. As a result of this partnership, The GROW program is a community garden/greenhouse project developed to promote and support nutrition education and reduce sedentary lifestyles in Greene County at the Boys and Girls Club.
BSMGA members have been (and are) on-site every Monday throughout the year (since 2012) to provide hands-on instruction in the garden. The youth are involved with the garden installation and maintenance, but also have several opportunities to taste the “fruits of their labor” each week as well. The Master Gardeners not only show the youth various basic aspects of gardening principles, but also incorporate nutrition into their weekly curriculum. The youth have achieved many successes, including growing their food, cooking samples (pizzas, salsas, fruit puddings, smoothies and stir-fry) for their own use, and learning new exciting ideas to make smarter food choices.
In addition, this project has received many accolades since 2011, including five Volunteer Spirit Awards and two statewide TEMG Search for Excellence awards in the youth category.
We are very proud of this project and proud of the volunteers who work tirelessly and thoughtfully to provide informative and fun instruction to the youth at the Boys and Girls Club. We appreciate the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County!
The following commercial was filmed in July (on-site at the Bous and Girls Club):
https://youtu.be/vHiYTLwqD1g?si=0KS8strxWYMGaZ3e
The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County, located in rural Tennessee, has a longstanding gardening program that teaches kids about growing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Because of the Maytag Feel Good Fridge, the Club keeps produce fresh for a longer time and provides access to healthy foods for youth and families.
For additional information on this project, please visit: Boys & Girls Clubs of America | Maytag
HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Appalachia was established in 2008 as a collaborative effort between Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) and East Tennessee State University (ETSU) to build momentum in the fight against childhood obesity in Southern Appalachia. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), obesity has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Why is this significant? Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and social and emotional issues related to poor self-esteem. As a result of this partnership, The GROW program is a community garden/greenhouse project developed to promote and support nutrition education and reduce sedentary lifestyles in Greene County at the Boys and Girls Club.
BSMGA members have been (and are) on-site every Monday throughout the year (since 2012) to provide hands-on instruction in the garden. The youth are involved with the garden installation and maintenance, but also have several opportunities to taste the “fruits of their labor” each week as well. The Master Gardeners not only show the youth various basic aspects of gardening principles, but also incorporate nutrition into their weekly curriculum. The youth have achieved many successes, including growing their food, cooking samples (pizzas, salsas, fruit puddings, smoothies and stir-fry) for their own use, and learning new exciting ideas to make smarter food choices.
In addition, this project has received many accolades since 2011, including five Volunteer Spirit Awards and two statewide TEMG Search for Excellence awards in the youth category.
We are very proud of this project and proud of the volunteers who work tirelessly and thoughtfully to provide informative and fun instruction to the youth at the Boys and Girls Club. We appreciate the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County!
The following commercial was filmed in July (on-site at the Bous and Girls Club):
https://youtu.be/vHiYTLwqD1g?si=0KS8strxWYMGaZ3e
The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County, located in rural Tennessee, has a longstanding gardening program that teaches kids about growing fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Because of the Maytag Feel Good Fridge, the Club keeps produce fresh for a longer time and provides access to healthy foods for youth and families.
For additional information on this project, please visit: Boys & Girls Clubs of America | Maytag
Broom Scarecrows |
Gourds |
Loofa |
Since 2011, the Big Spring Master Gardener Association of Greene County has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County in promoting and maintaining an educational garden for the children on site. The original funding was from a grant from HEAL Appalachia. The project has also won two Volunteer Spirit Awards which have been applied to continuing expenses. Master Gardeners work with 12 children per session on a weekly basis during the school year and the summer. The children come voluntarily in the three age groups (5,6,7; 8,9; 10 and up) used by the Boys and Girls Club.
One of the first B&G/BSMGA projects included pulling weeds, using various fertilizers (including fish emulsion, compost, worm castings, 10-10-10 and Miracle-Gro), caging and staking tomatoes and spreading compost, humus and mulch to the garden plot. Three varieties of peppers were grown in which the children could take home. A section of the garden also had black plastic spread over the plot to illustrate to the children how the technique of solarization works to control weeds with a later planting of a fall crop of potatoes and cole-crop vegetables. Therefore, the garden was established to produce throughout the winter. Herbs were also planted to demonstrate to the children the effect of companion planting in the garden to increase flavor, yield, and beneficial insects to the garden. As the project has continued to grow, a hoop house was installed in 2012 to extend the growing season. Wind proved too much for that and now tunnels are being used on individual beds with jugs of water painted black to emit some heat at night. Water barrels with soaker hoses were installed. A small greenhouse was added in 2013. Groundhogs became a serious problem so in 2015, the Boys and Girls Club built a 20' x 50' second garden with chain link fencing sunk 2" into the ground. It now has four raised beds with more planned for 2016. This is now the vegetable garden with the old garden used for flowers, herbs, a small water garden, bird feeder, and butterfly water spot. The children have many opportunities to taste the “fruits of their labor” and take seedlings and produce home. They also participate in discussions of how to grow, what to grow, and why growing your own is a good idea. Some of their produce is used for snacks and they talk about how to make smarter food choices. And yes, they get chocolate with their fruit around Valentine's Day...
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Funding for the Boys and Girls Club Garden Project was made possible through a HEAL Appalachia grant:
Across the region, organizations with successful obesity programs are improving the health of our residents.
HEAL Appalachia wants to HELP! Grass-roots obesity programs are the driving force behind the HEAL Appalachia Community Grants Program. The program provides grants to community organizations to support new efforts and expand existing efforts to reduce childhood obesity. These funds are awarded through a region-wide competitive process. For additional information, please contact the following BSMGA B&G Garden Project leader:
Darlene Moore |
BSMGA was selected to receive a 2013 Search for Excellence (SFE) Award!
Read about it HERE!
Read about it HERE!
BSMGA Awarded "Spirit Award"
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Take a peek at what's going on at the B&G Club...
Beth Hembree and Virginia Williams work in the garden at the Boys and Girls Club.
July 2020 UPDATE
As you can see the Boys and Girls Club garden is looking good! All 20 beds have been planted and most are doing well. Peppers are producing, tomatoes should ripen soon and we have baby squash and cucumbers. The popcorn had to be replanted, and it is peeking out of the soil. Joe has completed the fantastic irrigation system, Darlene keeps planting flowers that mysteriously disappear ( birds???) and we all check on things, water and weed as necessary. As the kids walk by they ask about what things are and comment on how much they are growing! They want to be back in the garden too!