Community garden sprouts at Dover AFB

Published June 6, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Children from Dover Air Force Base, Del., planted a community garden June 1 as part of a program to help families experience the responsibility of sustaining vegetables.

The program, "Kids Blossom Through Gardening," is run by the Health and Wellness Center and the Dover AFB Booster Club. The HAWC and booster club were awarded $2,000 in the "Newman's Own" competition, which seeks to reward ingenuity and innovation for programs benefiting servicemembers.

"We are doing this because kids who grow their own veggies are more likely to eat them," said Kate Jenningsm, HAWC registered dietician. "It will help teach responsibility, healthy habits, exercise and provide for family time."

The idea for the program started when Ms. Jennings saw an advertisement in a local paper for self-watering, self-fertilizing container gardens. Coordinating with the HAWC program manager, Nancy Zabaga, the Dover AFB HAWC submitted a grant proposal and both Team Dover members were soon on a trip to the Pentagon.

The "Newman's Own" award was presented by Gen. James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the awards presentation, the HAWC got back to work formulating a class titled 'Benefits of Growing Your Own Fruits and Vegetables.' The first class had more than 10 children attend and more classes are scheduled for the future.

Planting day had distinguished visitors such as Mayor Carey Carleton Sr., Mayor of Dover, Del., Col. Tony Krawietz, 436th Airlift Wing vice commander, and Col. Joan Garbutt, 436th Mission Support Group commander. More than 25 children, the HAWC staff, and Dover AFB booster club members attended as well.

When the planting was done, the children sat outside to listen to Mayor Carleton and Colonel Krawietz share a message on the importance of eating healthy and learning the process of tending to a container garden.

"This will be a great education process," said Mayor Carleton. "You will all have a great time."

The garden features various vegetables and herbs specifically targeted for their aroma, nutrients and disease preventing qualities, said Ms. Jennings. There will also be two families adopting containers to grow for the community from the comfort of their own homes.

Program leaders plan to have a 'fruits of our labor' dinner when the garden's vegetables are ripe. Until then, the children will be tending to the garden and ensuring the vegetables, herbs and flowers grow to their full potential.

"Recent data from Australia has proven a correlation between gardening and a decrease in stress, so this small project will not only increase healthy food consumption, decrease stress, increase outdoor activity, but also provide a place of beauty and peace right outside the Youth Center," said Ms. Zabaga. "The HAWC is thrilled that we were able to develop this project and that the Youth Center was willing to host it."