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Health and harvest12/31/2023 ![]() But as soon as we put in the garden, people started coming by and asking questions.” “There isn’t as much greenspace or a park where people can gather. We wanted to provide them a garden to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, our community health worker services and an outdoor communal space.”īecause Pillsbury is primarily comprised of renters, it can be harder to make connections, Barnes believes. “The common denominator is that the Office of Community Care and Moving Pillsbury Forward both care about Pillsbury Mills residents. “They were eager to invest the funds needed to get a small garden off the ground in a very short amount of time,” said OCC Director Elise Albers. The plot consists of 10 raised beds on a paved pad beside the former flour processing plant that gave the neighborhood its name. OCC staff connected with Polly Poskin and Chris Richmond at Moving Pillsbury Forward, and the groups quickly partnered to create the Pillsbury Neighborhood Garden at 1525 E. Barnes and colleague Nicol Moore fill bags for each, adding some bonus beans and peppers.Īt midsummer, the SIU-administered gardens at the Motherlands and in Enos Park expanded to include a third location, in the Pillsbury Mills neighborhood. “They’ve had very good herbs this year,” she said. She heard about the gardens as an option on the north end of Springfield. Sandy, a retiree living on Social Security, has noticed the price of fresh vegetables increasing. 15 th St., two women arrived as if on cue, one in search of basil, the other tomatoes. While the interview was being conducted at the Motherland Gardens, 815 S. ![]() It’s a chance for people to get to know us.” ![]() “Whenever we’re here, someone will stop by and ask about the garden and what else we’re doing in their community. Most importantly, new relationships are being cultivated, Barnes said. As the crops matured, she and teammates have been distributing them across multiple neighborhoods, sharing with residents at their doorsteps or during street encounters. SIU’s Office of Community Care (OCC) launched ‘Operation Taproot’ earlier this summer to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for residents in neighborhoods around the Mid-Illinois Medical District, while offering new routes for communication and access to care.Ĭommunity health worker Kaye Barnes designed and spearheaded the project to raise awareness of nutrition and health services available within Springfield. It’s harvest time at the city of Springfield’s community gardens, and a new SIU Medicine program has produced some robust results.
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