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This past fall, 33 indoor garden towers were established in schools, community organizations and senior centers across Caroline, Dorchester and Kent counties. These towers, made possible with obesity prevention funding from the Maryland Department of Health, are supplying fresh, healthy vegetables to residents across the lifespan.
The garden towers are also a powerful teaching tool, showing how a seed needs water, sunlight and nurturing to grow. (A life metaphor?) They of course have the added benefit of instilling a sense of wonder and awe!
​Aarons Place Inc Benedictine School Caroline County Medical Adult Day Care Caroline Pride Channel Marker, Inc. Eastern Shore Food Lab Empowered Being LLC Heather Fishers Daycare Henry Highland Garnet Elementary School | ​Kent County Medical Adult Day Care Maple Elementary Minary's Dream Alliance, Inc North Dorchester Middle School South Dorchester School PreK-8 North Caroline High School Town of Greensboro Tuckahoe State Park University of Maryland Extension (Mid-Shore) |
Caroline, Dorchester and Kent represent three of the ten Maryland counties with the highest obesity rates among adults. While measures vary by county, residents in the three counties overall have lower income, higher poverty rates, higher rates of obesity and diabetes, less access to healthy foods and exercise opportunities, and lower rates of physical activity than Maryland.
Want to get involved and help make a difference? Visit midshorehealth.org
This is such an amazing initiative! It's incredible to see how these indoor garden towers are not only providing fresh vegetables but also serving as powerful teaching tools for the communities involved. I’m especially inspired by how the process of nurturing a seed into a healthy plant mirrors life’s growth journey. I can just imagine adding a swisher leaf touch to the garden towers—perhaps a bit of creativity to make the project even more engaging! This is definitely a wonderful example of how gardening can bring people together and promote healthier lifestyles. Keep up the great work!