The Capital Area Food Bank’s Healthy Eating department recently offered its first Food Growing A3 Workshop of the year – Small Space, Huge Harvest: Growing Food in Containers. The course shows partner organizations that a lack of growing space does not have to be an obstacle to growing a bountiful harvest. In fact, small space gardens can increase the fresh produce capacity of the food bank’s partner organizations. The class, which will be offered again on May 16, is just one of the many exciting nutrition programs run by Healthy Eating. It is our department’s belief that growing food on site can improve the overall health of the populations our partner organizations serve.
Healthy Eating’s Abbie Steiner, one of the food bank’s Master Gardeners, shared her valuable knowledge about container gardening with class participants and offered advice on the best ways to implement gardening techniques in non-traditional spaces. Abbie’s class proved to be ideal for those partners located here in DC, as container gardening happens to be a perfect match for urban organizations that lack space for a traditional in-ground garden.
Dr. Joan Conway of Saint Camillus Church, a class participant and food bank partner agency, took home a class door prize – a homemade self-watering container for growing a variety of vegetables. Others received packets of seeds for their organizations or personal gardens and container gardening resource packets. Overall, the class was a terrific kick-start to a fruitful 2012 growing season.
To learn more or register for upcoming food growing A3 workshops, contact Healthy Eating Educator Abbie Steiner at 202-526-5344 ext. 298 or asteiner@capitalareafoodbank.org.