University of Illinois Extension in Livingston and Woodford Counties is offering community members an opportunity to grow a garden of vegetables and flowers while giving back to their community.

Giving Garden kits are available free of charge to individuals with a little extra growing space. Those who register for the program pledge to donate a portion of the harvest back to community members in need.

Program participants will receive on-going program support from University of Illinois Extension staff:

• A monthly newsletter filled with gardening resources and videos to assist program participants in growing an efficient and productive patch of vegetables and flowers all season long.
• Season-long support for program participants in identifying food pantries or assisted living locations seeking donations and provide a tracking system to record number of vegetables and/or floral arrangements donated.

Program materials will be distributed the week of May 9 at the Livingston and Woodford County Extension offices. A maximum of 100 vegetable kits and 100 flower kits will be distributed.

Find program details and to register for this free program in Livingston and Woodford Counties, visit May 9 on the events calendar at go.illinois.edu/LMWevents or contact the team at 309-663-8306. Kits are available first come, first serve upon received registrations.

Vegetable Kits

Many people in our communities are facing food insecurity due to loss of jobs, health issues, and other daily challenges. We can increase food production and access by donating vegetables grown in Livingston and Woodford County backyards, ensuring fresh food to those in need.

Participants will register to receive a vegetable “giving garden kit” which will include four tomato plants (two slicer, two cherry), four bell pepper plants, and cucumber seed for three planting hills as well as gardening resources, including plant care and maintenance sheets for all the crops. When registering for the program, participants pledge to donate at least 50 percent of the produce harvested from those plants to a local food pantry or person in need.

Cut Flower Kits

The past two years have handed our world and local communities many challenges and stressors. In 2022, we are still in need of support from neighbors, looking for outlets to give back, and searching for moments of shared joy.

A recent study by Rutgers University found that flowers positively affect our emotional health and well-being. They have immediate positive effects on our level of happiness, make intimate connections, and can have a long-term impact on our emotions, leaving us feeling more satisfied and fulfilled. People in the study reported feeling less depressed, less anxious, and less agitated after receiving fresh floral arrangements. Flowers can brighten up a room, make it more welcoming, and add a little nature indoors.

Participants will register to receive a floral “giving garden kit” which will include seed for 5 flowers (sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, calendula, and bupleurum) as well as gardening resources, including plant care and maintenance sheets for all the plants. Plants can be grown in a garden or container. When registering for the program, participants pledge to cut the flowers, create simple arrangements, and donate created arrangements to local nursing homes, hospitals, senior assisted living sites, or other community members in need of a “pick-me-up.”

For questions about the Giving Garden program, contact Brittnay Haag, horticulture educator, at bhaag@illinois.edu or 309-663-8306.