The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Grow & Give is returning this growing season. Colorado State University launched Grow & Give in 2020 as a “modern victory garden project” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with 600 volunteers we provided over 20 tons of fresh, local produce to people in need. This year Grow & Give continues to provide a platform for Coloradans to fight food insecurity in their communities by growing food and giving it to those in need. Learn more at GrowAndGiveColorado.org.

KloverKare is a newly launched organization started by Jeremy Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick is an area veteran who has returned home and wanting to build community through food gardens and give back to those in need and area food banks. Veterans along with residents are looking for areas of land to grow fresh vegetables this season. In fact, Kilpatrick has engaged participation from area veterans to come and help grow food in the Akron Community Garden and in the Holyoke Community Garden, two Colorado State University Extension Community Garden Projects. If you are interested in knowing more about KloverKare please contact Kilpatrick at (970) 580-7194 or by email at [email protected].

In this particularly stressful time, getting out and exercising in the garden helps relieve both your physical and mental stress. It gives you an opportunity to meet another community member of like mind. There are studies that support gardening helps build your immune system, heart health, better sleep, and weight loss. If you are a beginning gardener, gardening helps boost your self-confidence. Gardening reduces dementia, agitation by giving a person more independence, reduces falls and helps a person stay focused.

I hope you come out to volunteer. There is no age limit to volunteering for these gardening projects. There is no full-time commitment either. If you have an hour to give, then that becomes your level of commitment. Your commitment can be once a week or once a month depending on how much time you are willing to give. If you are interested in joining either the Akron Community Garden or the Holyoke Community Garden, please call CSU Horticulture Agent, Linda Langelo at (970) 474-3479 or leave a message on Garden the Plains Facebook page.