Grow to share program generates over 500 pounds of produce for local families in Colorado
During the pandemic, the garden is open to 20 Women, Infants & Children families every Tuesday.
By Libby Stanford
Summit Daily
Aug 23, 2020
Excerpt:
The program grows and collects produce at the Dillon Valley Elementary community garden, which it then donates to families enrolled in the county’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children and the food bank at the Family & Intercultural Resource Center.
The program started as a way for community gardeners to donate extra produce to the three organizations.
“(When the program started) we just wanted to eliminate waste and make sure we were feeding more fresh, locally-grown produce into the hands of our families,” said Whitney Horner, Summit County’s Women, Infants & Children director.
In 2016, the garden at Dillon Valley became dedicated to teaching the 250 Women, Infants & Children program families about nutrition and healthy living.
Although the novel coronavirus pandemic meant the program was unable to offer the same level of hands-on activity as before, the community garden has remained a place for growth and education. Kyla Laplante, the head gardener at the conservation center, has used the opportunity to maximize production.
