2 Community Gardens Aim To Produce 1K Pounds Of Food For Residents

EDGEWOOD, MD — Two community gardens have opened in Edgewood to help curb food insecurity.

The gardens were unveiled Wednesday morning and launched in partnership between community leaders, the American Heart Association and the 755 Alliance, with support from the University of Maryland Medical System.

Located at the American Legion Post 17 and Presbury United Methodist Church, the gardens are part of the “Live Fierce. Stand for All.” initiative by the American Heart Association. The association works with community organizations and institutions to provide funding and other resources to help build community gardens, with a focus on improving nutrition security by providing access to more fresh fruits and vegetables.

“In Harford County, nearly nine percent of residents experience food insecurity,” Upper Chesapeake Health President and CEO Elizabeth Wise told WMAR. “That translates to thousands of neighbors who may not know where their next healthy meal is coming from.”

Many vegetables and herbs have been planted in the two community gardens, and green thumbs added strawberries, melons and a fruit tree to the American Legion Post 17 garden Wednesday during the gardens' unveiling. Together, the gardens will produce an estimated 1,200 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruits each year.

“What makes our garden unique, especially this size, is it’s free so they don’t have to pay a membership fee or rent a space to be able to come and help out,” said BangTam Miller of the 755 Alliance during the event.

The American Legion post named its community garden after two Harford County Sheriff’s deputies who died in the line of duty nine years ago - Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey and Deputy First Class Mark Logsdon.

"It’s a labor of love and as much as the nutritious foods are needed, the plots will bare far more than the fruit and vegetables alone," Tracy Brazelton with the American Heart Association told WMAR. “They are a place where veterans, families and neighbors can come together to grow something meaningful both in the soil and in their lives.”