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. 

Plant a Row, Watch COPE Grow Food Donation Garden

Illinois Extension formed a new partnership with the Regional office of Education #21 in Metropolis, which provided the opportunity to move the garden to a lot next to their building, improving visibility and allowing for fenced-in location. With the help many volunteers and organizations, the garden successfully grew over 650 pounds of produce to donate to COPE Food Pantry. With the help from SNAP-Ed staff, COPE has improved storage and display of the donated produce from the garden. Plant a Row, Watch COPE Grow Food Donation Garden raised 650 pounds of produce to donate to COPE Food Pantry. 

The Pilot Garden: Cairo's Food Donation Garden

The Pilot Garden: Cairo's Food Donation Garden raised 1,250 pounds of produce to donate to Daystar Community Program in Cairo. This garden is a host for several programming opportunities from SNAP-Ed holding Eat Move Save booths to Garden Tales for youth at Cairo Elementary School. The garden offers more than just produce, it has a sensory garden for the five senses and a pollinator 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. 

If you would like to volunteer in one of our gardens, please contact Anne Townsend at
cupquake@ illinois.edu.

What's Happening?

It's that time of year, time to winterize the beds until next garden season. If you would like to help clean and winterize the garden beds in either garden, please be on the lookout for those dates. The gardens will be back up and running in March, so stay tuned for those dates in early 2024.

Metropolis | Stewardship Days | 9 - 11 A. M.