Planting seeds for new city program

By CARRIE KIRSCHNER - The Independent

ASHLAND February 19, 2008 12:08 am

— A group of local green thumbs have been busy planting seeds to grow a new city program.
Ashland City Commissioner Cheryl Spriggs, along with UK Horticulture extension agent Lori Bowling and Ashland’s Planning and Community Development Director Greg Rice, having been working toward launching Community Gardens, a citywide initiative to turn vacant plots of land into garden space for residents.
The idea is to use the gardens to foster a shared sense of community in neighborhoods and teach children and adults about gardening, growing their own food and composting waste materials.
“It’s going to be a huge community endeavor,” said Spriggs, an avid gardener and the political force behind the movement. “I think we’re going to have a lot of people step out who want to be involved.”
Bowling, who has served as the Horticulture agent for the last six years and has long hoped to see this type of program flourish in Boyd County, will be the program’s coordinator.
With the help of Rice, several locations around the city have been identified as possible plots for gardens. They include DeBord Terrace, Hill-Crest Bruce and Hatcher Elementary, along with spaces in the 800 block of Montgomery Avenue and along Bath Avenue in the WinMont neighborhood.
The garden at each location would be sectioned off into smaller plots for residents. Each would also have a composting element and a children’s garden.
Bowling said she hopes to incorporate the agency’s certified master gardeners into the Community Gardens initiative. Master gardeners are community members that become certified through the UK extension agent and volunteer for numerous types of activities in the community. Bowling envisions them sharing their skills to help residents cultivate their gardens and assist with the children’s program.
She sees education as a large component of the program. “Children need to learn where their food comes from. ... You go into schools and kids think their food comes from Wal-Mart, and before that, trucks,” she said.
“This gives them a handle on it and it can also teach them responsibility. It can help in leadership and it can also help with children learning economic values,” Bowling said, adding, “The big kicker is it can help a lot of kids with their self-esteem.”
In addition to children, the group sees the program reaching out to the elderly and disabled to engage them in the community and provide a social outlet. They are exploring the possibility of creating raised or container gardens at Scope Towers, which are more easily accessible.
The group will seek city approval and support of the project at Thursday’s Ashland Board of City Commissioners meeting.
Spriggs said the group will be asking primarily for city assistance in plowing the plots.
Interested volunteers or residents should contact Bowling at (606) 739-5184.
CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reach at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.