TEMPLE, Texas — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Texas Discovery Gardens are celebrating the groundbreaking of a new “Food and Pollinator Learning Garden” on Sept. 8 at 9 a.m., at 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Dallas.
The public is invited to the free ceremonial event, which will launch the establishment of a public outdoor classroom and food garden at the Texas Discovery Gardens, with funds awarded by the NRCS People’s Garden Initiative.
People’s Gardens empower communities to participate in local food production and provide diversity and resiliency to the food supply chain. The People’s Gardens Initiative is an example of how local gardens can foster community collaboration, grow local and nutritious food, nurture greenspace and inspire people through the experience of growing from seed to plant. People’s Gardens, which are collaborative in nature, also benefit and educate the community and incorporate sustainable practices.
The People’s Garden in Dallas is one of 17 locations in the nation established by the USDA-NRCS.
“We are excited to announce Texas Discovery Gardens as the Dallas People’s Garden,” said Kristy Oates, NRCS Texas State Conservationist. “The People’s Garden Initiative is focused on creating diverse, healthy and resilient food systems for local communities, and the Texas Discovery Gardens embodies this commitment.
“The production of vegetables and fruit is important to small and large communities and urban neighborhoods lacking access to locally grown produce,” Oates said. “Additionally, the development of greenspaces in urban areas beautifies communities and provides opportunities for community gathering. This agreement and partnership support NRCS’s interest in urban agriculture and the People’s Garden Initiative.”
The Grow Well and Discover Garden classroom and greenspace will include approximately 450-square feet of raised beds, with an additional 2,500 square feet of circulation and gathering space within the 277-acre Texas Discovery Gardens site. The area, which has some of the county’s highest poverty rates, has limited access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. The community benefits from a People’s Garden include access to healthy fresh produce, hand-on demonstrations and educational opportunities, food production, and health benefits.
“We are honored and excited to be chosen as Dallas’s People’s Garden,” said Dick Davis, Texas Discovery Garden’s Executive Director. “We look forward to providing a food garden open to the public and creating an edible landscape demonstration for educational purposes.”
The produce grown in the Dallas People’s Garden will be provided to local residents, as well as organizations such as Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Institute, Cornerstone Baptist Church and the Austin Street Shelter.
Educational demonstrations and a seminar series held throughout the year at the garden will also be used to increase awareness of urban garden health benefits, food production, food safety, food preparation and food storage, and to promote and encourage adoption of urban and community gardens.
To watch this and other gardens grow, visit the USDA People’s Garden webpage or follow the hashtag #PeoplesGarden on USDA’s social media channels.
More Information
USDA originally launched the People’s Garden Initiative in 2009. The initiative’s name was derived from the “People’s Department,” former President Abraham Lincoln’s nickname for the USDA. The USDA was established during his presidency in 1862.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day by focusing America’s food system towards more resilient local and regional food production and fairer markets for all producers, while ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities.
USDA is working to build new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit USDA.gov.
–USDA NRCS Texas