MORGANTOWN—As the Grow This: West Virginia Garden Challenge continues to help West Virginians grow crops, the program likewise continues to grow in popularity.
“In 2020, right around the time of the pandemic, we launched the campaign thinking, well, this gives us something we can do virtually,” said Kristin McCartney, WVU Extension Office public health specialist.
The program began in 2018 as a way to support low-income residents and encourage healthy eating by providing seeds and gardening instructions in the mail. What McCartney said the program did not expect was an explosion in popularity, which went from having about 300 participants in 2018 and again in 2019 to nearly 26,000 in 2020.
The immense growth of the program caught coordinators off-guard. A seed shortage made it difficult for home gardeners and commercial farmers alike to purchase seeds, leading the program to face a challenging year trying to keep up with high demand.
Despite the additional challenges, the program adapted and also found ways to expand outreach efforts. Opportunities such as ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions with WVU horticulture specialists became available as well as an electronic newsletter.
While the program continues to provide resources and skills to combat food insecurity, McCartney said its benefits have expanded due to COVID-19.
“Last year, we saw the benefit to mental health and also connectedness,” she said. “That social connectedness was kind of an outcome that was more important last year and I think continues to be important with the isolation people feel with the pandemic.”
This year, program participants will grow a traditional Three Sisters garden, a gardening technique originating from the Iroquois. This includes corn, beans and squash. These plants grow and work together to help one another thrive and provide growers with a nutritionally balanced harvest.
Sign-ups have been cut off as a proactive way to keep up with demand this year, with about 17,500 people registered. Those interested in participating are still welcome to buy their own seeds and follow along with the program through the Grow This: WV Garden Challenge Facebook page or instagram page.
On the page, the program shares advice, updates and challenges such as Best Small-Yard Garden or Most Creative Trellis.
One organization that has taken advantage of the program is Americorps Senior, a volunteer program for seniors to serve their communities. Most volunteers in the state work with children in schools through the Foster Grandparent Program or volunteer with other seniors to help with daily activities through the Senior Companion Program.
Michelle Williams, program coordinator, said COVID-19 restricted volunteers’ ability to participate in these programs. She wanted to find an alternative to help Americorps Senior volunteers stay physically and mentally healthy.
After a successful first year with 93 Americorps Senior volunteers participating in the challenge in 2020, Williams said many were eager to continue planting seeds this year.
“Even through the winter, some of my volunteers asked if we were going to be able to participate again this year and if we would continue with the collaboration,” Williams said. “My answer was absolutely, 100 percent.”
Helen Ice, a resident of Weston and Americorps Senior volunteer, participated in the Grow This challenge in 2020. She has always been interested in gardening, and said she enjoyed having an outdoor activity to participate in during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ice is no stranger to challenging herself when it comes to growing different types of fruits and vegetables, even outside of the Grow This challenge.
“I like to see if I can do it, if I can grow a banana tree or an orange tree or lemon tree,” she said.
Carolyn Brown, a resident of Davis and Americorps Senior volunteer, said she participated in the gardening program in 2020 and is looking forward to participating again this year.
Brown said spending time outdoors and watching the plants grow is her favorite part about the program. While growing the plants is fun, she said the most rewarding part is getting to taste fresh produce.
“I myself was raised on a farm, so I’m quite familiar with gardening,” Brown said. “It’s still exciting to have your various plants growing and maturing right before your eyes.”
WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program’s work is supported by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. More information on the program can be found through its Facebook page or by visiting extension.wvu.edu.
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