Food insecurity is a widespread issue in Illinois' southernmost counties. This lack of food, especially healthy food, decreases the likelihood that residents will live healthy lives. We strive to work with community organizations and community members to grow fresh food for our communities of Metropolis and Cairo.
Plant a Row, Watch COPE Grow Food Donation Garden
The Plant a Row, Watch COPE Grow Food Donation Garden is a partnership between University of Illinois Extension, SIU Credit Union, and COPE. Established in 2018, the garden has received over $33,000 in donations and grant funding. Community volunteers have given about 875 hours of time to planting, tending, and harvesting produce. To date we’ve grown over 4,200 pounds of produce, all donated to COPE. This fresh produce helps supplement the food options available at the pantry, and is a locally grown source of nutritious, healthy food for our community members.
In 2024 we moved to a new location after establishing a new partnership with SIU Credit Union. The new location provided full sun and dry conditions. Funding from previous donations allowed the garden to double in size, and we also installed a fence. With the help of many volunteers and local organizations, the garden grew 2,380 pounds of produce to donate to COPE Food Pantry in 2024. This food included cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, okra, zucchini, and more. SNAP Ed provided recipes, signage, and other nutrition education materials to COPE to complement the harvested produce. Nutrition education was also provided for guests through Eat.Move.Save booths at the pantry.
The garden also serves as a demonstration site for the community to learn more about raised bed gardening and vertical gardening.
The Pilot Garden: Cairo's Food Donation Garden
The Pilot Garden: Cairo's Food Donation Garden is a partnership between University of Illinois Extension, Daystar Community Programs, and Southern 7 Health Department. Established in 2021, the garden has received over $49,000 in donations and grant funding. Community volunteers have given over 1,400 hours of time to planting, tending, and harvesting produce. To date we’ve grown over 4,250 pounds of produce, all donated to Daystar Community Programs. The garden grew 1350 pounds of produce in 2024, and our volunteers gave over 350 hours of their time to make this happen! This fresh, locally grown produce helps supplement the food offered from Daystar to provide a source of nutritious produce for the community.
We added 18 new raised beds to the garden in 2024 with funding from previous donations. Ten of the new beds were added to provide one raised bed for each class at Cairo Elementary to plant, care for, and harvest while they visit the garden monthly during Garden Tales. The other 8 beds were added for perennial fruits and vegetables like berries and asparagus.
This garden is a host for several programming opportunities, including SNAP-Ed holding Eat.Move.Save booths and adding nutritional signage to the garden and Extension staff engaging youth at Cairo Elementary School in a monthly gardening program called Garden Tales. The garden offers more than just produce, it has a sensory garden for the five senses and a pollinator garden as well. Youth from around the community have painted rocks to display vibrant colors in the garden and there are birdhouses placed around the garden for bird watching.
The garden also serves as a demonstration site for the community to learn more about raised bed gardening, drip irrigation, vertical gardening, and gardening with native plants.
If you would like to volunteer in one of our gardens, please contact Anne Townsend at cupquake@illinois.edu.
