Anyone Want to Start a Community Garden?

Interested in starting a community garden? Eastern Shore Healthy Communities and the Eastern Shore Health District request proposals from organizations, interested parties, and community members that would like to newly develop or sustain an existing community garden on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Community gardens offer many potential benefits including essential nourishment, healthy exercise, incentive to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, potential income from the sale of fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, exposure to fruits and vegetable for those who are unfamiliar with plant names and growing conditions, and a shared interest within the community.

Organizations submitting a response to this request for proposals must provide a detailed description of the purpose of their proposed garden initiative, a planning, planting and harvesting timeline, and a line-item and descriptive budget.

In addition, applicant organizations must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of or expertise in planting, protecting, harvesting, and sustaining a garden.  And finally, the organization must indicate how the plants will be used and how they will sustain the community garden effort.  Proposals that consider health disparities and the social determinants of health will receive special consideration.

Applications are due by 3 p.m. February 14.  Submissions may be sent electronically or delivered.  To request the full Request for Proposals and application, contact Ellen Archer at (757) 302-4266 or [email protected].