United Way Community Garden- Self Regional

The Lakelands Community Gardens was formed by the United Way of the Lakelands in January of 2022 in partnership with USDA-NRCS. The purpose of the Lakelands Community Gardens is to create and utilize community gardens to improve food insecurity in the Lakelands region, especially in underserved and low-income areas. Through this initiative, UW hopes to increase the accessibility and affordability of quality, healthy foods. This aligns with the USDA objective to provide all Americans access to a safe, nutritious, and secure food supply. This project also includes outreach efforts through community workshops designed to educate the community on organic and sustainable agricultural practices, integrated pest management, soil health, seasonal food safety, and food preparation. These initiatives have been a great success in ensuring the progression of our local food systems.