Juice producer helps community gardens
Clermont
Juice producer helps community gardens
Staff Report
Sowing seeds of sustainability into the local community, Uncle Matt's Organic in Clermont has become an inaugural partner for Central Florida's first organic community garden.
Pioneered by South Lake Hospital, the organic vegetable and herb garden that's located on the hospital campus in Clermont will provide community groups with an opportunity to garden organically and to become educated on the principles, practices and benefits of organic gardening, according to the web site wwwfeshplaza.com
"This is a great opportunity for Uncle Matt's to educate our community on the health benefits of organically-grown food," said Susan McLean, community affairs director at Uncle Matt's Organic and chairman of the board at South Lake Hospital.
As a garden project partner, Uncle Matt's is providing all the compost for the grow boxes, as well as gardening expertise and oversight, including organic certification, freshplaza.com said. Participating growers represent a diverse cross-section of the community, including local doctors, recreational sports groups, hospital employees and a support group for disabled adults.
Participating community groups plant their crops in 10-foot by 12-foot, 10-foor by 15-foot, or 4-foot by four-foot raised growing beds.
Some community groups are electing to donate their produce to charity.
Uncle Matt's Organic hopes that other hospitals will implement similar projects to both educate their communities and possibly supply their own hospital cafeterias. It would be food that is not only organic and healthy, but literally grown in their own backyard.
Friday, May 04, 2012 - www.dailycommercial.com/-b1-042312unclematt