Growing Places Indy Launches Garden Program
Growing Places Indy, a nonprofit that supports community wellness through urban agriculture, is launching the Plant It Forward Program. The nonprofit says the program gives the Indianapolis community tools, training, and resources to create home and community gardens.
Growing Places Indy says the goal of the program is to support the “vitality and sustainability of the region’s agriculture, build long term economic self-reliance and food security, and expand access to high-quality foods in underserved areas through locally grown foods.”
The nonprofit says program participants will receive all necessary resources to start a vegetable garden. Participants will also have access to workshops, including Gardening 101, Pest Control, and Organic Growing Practices, among others.
The nonprofit says the program also aims to educate those who are interested in sustainably grown foods and connect gardeners and advocates working to promote urban agriculture with one another.
Indiana’s obesity rate is the 12th highest in the U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate in Marion County has been increasing since 2005.
The nonprofit says applications for the annual program will open in February. The program will select up to 25 applicants who will be notified in March.
The program is open to all Indianapolis residents, community organizations, schools, and churches.