A group of Amherst citizens in partnership with Stephanie Cicc
arello, Amherst Sustainability Coordinator, the UMass Permaculture Initiative, and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture encouraged more Amherst residents to grow their own food in 2013. There are lots of ways to get involved growing food. Examples are:
- Creating a new vegetable garden (or expanding an existing garden)
- Planting a few fruit or nut trees
- Building a raised bed for vegetables
- Growing food plants in containers on a patio
- Caring for a potted herb on a windowsill
The challenge is to get 350 Amherst residents involved during the spring of 2013, in some aspect of Grow Food Amherst – resulting in at least 100 new plantings during the month of May. According to one of the organizers, Michelle Chandler of South Amherst, the 350 new members will represent about 1% of the population of the town, thus becoming the “new One Percent.”
Plans for the Amherst Garden Challenge include:
- Educational workshops in the spring
- A membership (Join the New 1%) drive
- Demonstrations at the Amherst Sustainability Festival
- Planting of at least 100 new gardens (from the windowsill to the backyard)
- Educational workshops in the fall
Finally, for more background on the project, see: Project Background.
Grow Food Amherst 