www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 23 This could mean dispensing with healthy and nutritious eating habits, which many of us take for granted, because the effort and distance to go to get fruit and vegetables costs too much and takes too much time. But it has been proven that the presence of a community garden changes these habits toward healthier lifestyles. “Better nutrition is one of the biggest benefits that working a community garden can provide,” said Jacqueline Williams, program coordinator and master gardener with Columbia Parks & Recreation. “Our official program started in 2011, and now we have three area sites, all owned by the city, that residents can lease.” Williams added that the best part for her happens when participants realize a distinct difference between what they grow and what they buy. “Residents who participate in our community gardens program think the cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, lettuce and all the other food from them taste better than the vegetables they get in the store,” she said. “And they also participate for other reasons, such as social interaction and limited space at home for gardens.” Of course, better nutrition can mean far fewer medical problems later on. “Food from one of these gardens can significantly reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases,” Brownlee said. “And most of the people who work the gardens in Greenville County grow food for personal consumption and enjoy tending their crops with families or friends.” Community gardens made their debut in Colonial America when members of the Moravian Church in North Carolina established them to provide food for the entire community. Later, in the 1890s, Detroit was the first city to start community gardens on vacant lots to hep combat an economic recession. And during World War II, the U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged Americans to plant what were known as victory gardens. Around one-third of the vegetables produced during this time came from these gardens. Today, the largest community garden in the United States, Shiloh Field, situated on 14.5 acres in Denton, Texas, has produced more than 340,000 pounds of produce in the last 13 years to feed people who otherwise would go hungry. It’s an idea, and a challenge, that Williams said is being explored on a smaller scale in the Columbia area. “The first challenge we have is ‘Who is going to work the gardens exclusively for the benefit of others,’” she said. “And the second challenge is ‘How can we utilize these gardens to benefit our farmers markets and mobile markets and our food banks?’” COMMUNITY GARDENS By the Numbers Most per capita – city • Portland, Oregon – 4.45 community gardens per 1,000 residents. Source: Statista Research - statista.com/statistics/1034254/number-ofcommunity-gardens-per-10-000-residents-by-city-in-the-us. OLDEST – 18TH CENTURY Community of Bethabara, near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established by the Moravians in 1759, and still in operation. Note: Eagle Heights, Wisconsin, claims to have the oldest community garden, though it began in the 1950s. Source: Forsyth Community Gardening.com/History.aspx. LARGEST – 14.5 ACRES Shiloh Field Community Garden, Denton, Texas. Note: DeKalb County Community Gardens in DeKalb, Illinois, also claims to be the largest in the Unites States, at 15 ACRES. Shiloh is officially recognized as the largest by the American Community Garden Association. Sources: American Community Garden Association; Shiloh Field - shilohfield.com. Most popular vegetable • tomatoes, easily. They are also the NO. 1 GROWN VEGETABLE in the world at more than 189 MILLION metric tons. Onions are a distant second at 106.59 MILLION metric tons. Source: Statista Research.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240060241. $6 •The yield amount for EVERY $1 invested in a community garden. Source: Garden Pals - gardenpals.com/community-garden/. Early morning gardeners and community volunteers work together to fill accessible beds at the Conestee Community Garden in Greenville.
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