As our first season comes to a close, we have been reflecting over our successes and missteps. We are very proud of the amount of produce that we were able to grow in such a small time frame. Hundreds of pounds of squash, zucchini, okra, tomatoes, and peppers were weighed between June and September!  All of this fresh produce was distributed to families that reside in the Housing Authority of Williamsburg on a weekly basis, by dividing up the vegetables and then going door to door. There were also amazing volunteers that helped us every step of the way. Some of our partners included the City of Williamsburg, Whitley County Health Dept, Partners for Rural Impact, Green Dot, the Whitley County Extension Office, Whitley County Public Schools and Williamsburg City School, to name a few.  By rallying our community partners, we were able to receive in-kind donations that matched our grant funds! However, the help we received from the local residents was probably the icing on the cake. Adults and children remained committed to caring for their new community garden throughout the season. Keeping it watered, weeded and picked all summer long, no matter how hot, or rainy, the weather.  One of the residents that we would like to highlight was Samantha, who maintained the garden with her two children, from start to finish.  Samantha was in charge of watering, picking and general maintenance, and she did her job with pride.

As far as lessons learned, we definitely let time get away from us at the beginning of the season. Starting our planting and planning earlier next year is a priority.  We’ll also be engaging some different partners, as we plan to expand the program to the backyards of Whitley Countians in the rural areas of the community.  The community garden will continue to thrive through the investment of the Housing Authority and local partners and will also be a future learning space for any gardening workshops that we offer in the future.

What started as a complex concept, ended as a dream realized.  We are so thankful to the Housing Authority for being open to taking this journey with us and we look forward to what the future holds.