Buy local? Grow Local!
We here in central Virginia look well-poised to break an all-time snowfall record…while we’d normally be expecting the peak of bulbs about now, we’re all shoveling, cranking up the heat and scrambling for shovels.
But spring will come and when it does, many of us will be heading to local farmer’s markets, planting seeds, tilling the earth and deciding which things go in the ground first.
We’re lucky that we live in an epi-center of local food and a local food movement. It’s one of the things that makes us unique, make people want to move here and makes people want to stay.
Tom’s Garden is part of that, too. Affiliated with Nest Realty Group, Tom’s Garden is the brainchild of Amy Bender-Webb, a Nest broker and well-connected in the local food world, with support from all the Nest agents.
Tom’s Garden provides ‘seed money’ via a grant process that helps local communities, groups and organizations start, maintain and expand local garden projects.
We believe a community garden:
is a beautiful and joyful place. enables people to grow fresh, affordable food. gives families a place to share unplugged leisure time. can help transform a row of houses into a neighborhood. reintroduces the outdoors into the lives of people missing that daily pleasure. adds green space to any residential setting. creates opportunities for participation for the elderly, disengaged and newcomers. elevates underutilized or neglected land to a higher purpose. strengthens the connections amongst neighbors and help neighbors bridge differences. can serve as living classrooms to educate children, about gardening, local food supply and the environment. creates opportunities for interaction amongst the generations. can help people engage as active participants in community problem solving. makes people feel more vested in their home, their street, their neighborhood. can help make the conversation about local food issues accessible to everyone in the community.
If you or your group is interested in applying for a grant, click here.
We’ll see you in the garden!
