Courtesy USDA
The People ’s Garden at Yreka High School in Yreka , Calif. , is used to enhance the schooling ’s agriculture and natural imagination program .
hoi polloi ’s Gardens now exist in all 50 state , two U.S. territories , and three foreign countries , with more than 400 People ’s Gardens across the country , harmonize to the USDA .
Last year , the People ’s Garden initiative was unveiled in Washington and opened to the populace as a experience exhibit of what the USDA does every day . Today , People ’s Gardens around the country are used by the USDA to demonstrate the connexion among provide approach to alimentary nutrient , protect the landscape where food is grown , serve communities and helping those in need .
“ Last year , I decided to visibly remind folks that gardening is at the front and center of what we do here at USDA , ” said farming escritoire Tom Vilsack . “ But the ideas behind the People ’s Garden were not give birth here in Washington — and we will continue to ensure that they are adopted and ameliorate upon in communities across the country . ”
To conform to this goal , Vilsack challenged all USDA employee to create a People ’s Garden at their USDA function or in theirlocal communities . USDA agencies are involve in building these gardens , many of which are maintain through the collaboration of multiple agency with their communities .
Hundreds of establishment conduce to the People ’s Gardens at the local level , and most of these collaborator are recipients of the food produce in the garden . Last year , with only 124 People ’s Gardens , the USDA donated more than 34,000 pounds of green goods to local charities . ( View amap of People ’s Garden locations . snap on the red superman on the mathematical function to get garden info . )
The USDA is also collaborate with First Lady Michelle Obama to underscore the link between horticulture and good for you lifestyles . A key component is educating younker through the use of garden .
Each People ’s Garden can motley in size of it and type , but must include the abide by components :
1. A People’s Garden must benefit a local community.
Gardens can create space for leisure or recreation that the public can utilize , provide a harvest to a local food coin bank or shelter , be a wildlife friendly landscape painting , or be a pelting garden to absorb storm water run - off and protect the soil from eroding .
2. A People’s Garden must be collaborative.
The garden must be a collaborative effort among volunteer , neighbors or organizations within the local community . Local partnerships could carry out the mission of a People ’s Garden .
3. A People’s Garden must incorporate sustainable practices
The garden should let in horticulture praxis that nurture , conserve and protect the environment such as capturing rain inrain barrels , compostingand mulching , planting aboriginal specie , andencouraging good insectsthat provender on destructive pests .
