Contact:
Christopher Tittel
Communication Director, DOH-Manatee
(941) 720-6145

 

Bradenton, Fla. — The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Heath in Manatee County (DOH-Manatee) are inspiring members of the public to take up gardening during National Nutrition Month.

 

UF/IFAS and DOH-Manatee offer the chance to grow produce at Manatee Square Garden, located on DOH-Manatee’s main campus, 410 Sixth Avenue East in downtown Bradenton.

 

Gardeners who grow fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices save money and help sustain a steady supply of fresh produce that contains the vitamins, minerals and fiber required to protect, promote and improve overall health.

 

In 2022, community garden volunteers, with the help of Mack Lessig, UF/IFAS community gardens program assistant and master gardener, grew 966 pounds of fresh produce.

 

The fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have an estimated market value of $500 (each gardener growing anywhere from $60 to $70 worth of produce).

 

Many volunteers participated in five classes on gardening offered through UF/IFAS during the year, as well.

 

Lessig said UF/IFAS will renew its annual campaign to market more than 27 garden plots to the community in August.

 

Anyone who wants to apply to rent one of the 8-by-4-foot plots at Manatee Square Garden can do so through Lessig.

 

Cost is $25 per year with the option of renewing at year’s end.

 

For more information, please contact Mack Lessig at mlessig@ufl.edu or call (941) 722-4524 ext. 1821.

 

Food Sustainability and Public Health

 

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the agency that identified March as National Nutrition Month more than 50 years ago, has shaped this year’s theme around food sustainability.

 

“Many of our volunteers are surprised at just how much food they can grow in such a short amount of time and at such little cost,” said Lessig. “Everyone accepted into the Manatee Square Garden program receives the tools that they need – specifically, the orientation, education and garden plot – to help with food sustainability.”

 

Lessig said the only additional cost to gardeners would be for the starter plants themselves.

 

On March 6, UF/IFAS and DOH-Manatee hosted Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard and her daughter on a tour of Manatee Square Garden.

 

DOH-Manatee Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie was among those who sampled the garden’s offerings during the commissioner’s visit.

 

“Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of the vitamins and nutrients you need to support a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Bencie. “With the cost of just about everything on the rise, planting a fruit or vegetable garden is a great way to continue to eat healthy when you’re on a limited budget.”

 

Commissioner Ballard and her daughter stopped to sample fresh sorrel grown in one of the garden plots. Sorrel, French for “sour,” is a leafy vegetable with a tangy lemon flavor often used in beverages and soups.

 

“The Manatee Square Garden is a great model for what a community garden can and should be,” said Commissioner Ballard. “It is well-utilized, productive, and organized. As a Commissioner and a gardener myself, I’m passionate about local food and giving our residents the tools they need to become as self-sufficient as possible. I’m excited to expand the County’s community gardens program, using Manatee Square as an example.”

 

DOH-Manatee reports that Manatee Square Garden has, in fact, served as a model of success for other community gardens around the county and the state.

 

Gardens in the Deserts

 

DOH-Manatee and the Manatee County Feeding Workgroup recently surveyed residents of Samoset, a community located several blocks south of DOH-Manatee’s main campus that the USDA deems a “food desert.”

 

The USDA offers two definitions for a “food desert,” including:

 

• A tract of land in which at least 100 households are located more than one-half mile from the nearest supermarket and have no vehicle access.
• A tract of land where at least 500 people, or 33 percent of the population, live more than 20 miles from the nearest supermarket, regardless of vehicle availability.

 

Survey respondents identified cost and distance as barriers to healthy food options.

 

More than 60 percent of respondents said they spend more than $40 per month on produce and approximately 84 percent said they would be inclined to purchase produce from an outdoor fruit and vegetable stand located closer to home than the supermarket.

 

The survey, which was conducted in English and Spanish, had more than 100 responses and is critical to appropriately and effectively implementing changes through evidence-based public health strategies.

 

DOH-Manatee has shared the results of the survey with the Manatee Healthcare Alliance and other community partners with an interest in promoting good nutrition and food sustainability efforts, particularly in Samoset and other “food deserts” across Manatee County.

 

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About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.