Published: September 03, 2009 07:58 pm      

A source of food — 09/04/09

Garden teaches inmates skills while helping to feed hungry

A large, four-acre vegetable garden and between 75 and 100 fruit trees are proving to be an excellent educational tool for inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Summit and a new source of fresh produce for more than a dozen non-profit agencies that help feed the hungry.

However, what the garden located inside the prison does not do is provide food for the inmates. Federal regulations ban prison kitchens from using food cultivated by inmates.

However, instead of eliminating the garden when the food no longer could be used in the prison’s kitchen, FCI officials decided to give the produce to local non-profit agencies like the Community Kitchen, the Salvation Army and the Connonsburg-Trinity United Methodist Church’s food pantry.

During the growing season, hundreds of pounds of produce — corn, sweet potatoes, snap beans, okra, apples, etc. — leave the prison each week and either is used to prepare free meals for the hungry at the Community Kitchen or is given directly to the needy through non-profit agencies. River Cities Harvest, a non-profit agency that regularly picks up excess food from restaurants and supermarkets, distributes the donated food to the non-profit agencies.

While they do not get to consume the food they grow, the 27 inmates assigned to the garden detail are learning gardening, landscaping, tree trimming and other skills that could help them find jobs once they are released from prison.

And if they study their lessons, pass the tests and properly tend the garden as a community service, the inmates could become certified Kentucky Master Gardeners. That’s much more than just a title. While no college credit in given, the demanding work required to become a Master Gardener is similar to an two-year associate’s degree in horticulture, said Lori Bowling, who teaches the Master Gardening program through the Boyd County Extension Service and is one of many agricultural agents and experts involved with the garden at the prison.

Inmate Stanley Byrd said he knew quite a bit about garden before being sentenced to prison but says he still has learned a lot by working in the prison garden.

Inmate Dennis Story said he knew nothing about gardening when he started working in the garden but thought it would be a good way to keep in shape. It’s done more than that.

“It gives me respect for farmers,” Story said. “With this you work from dirt to harvest ... It’s good for me physically and mentally and I get a good night’s sleep.”

Not only is the program helping the prisoners by teaching them marketable skills, it’s good source of fresh fruits and vegetables for the Community Kitchen and area food banks. Here’s hoping the garden continues to produce for decades to come.