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City of Montpelier Parks and Trees Department (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
Older residents faced barriers to affordable fresh produce and lacked a welcoming space to gather. The project launched weekly pop-up farm-stand events outside the local center, offering low-cost food grown at the city's Feast Farm. A mobile stand, shade tent and signage were added, and volunteers-including many age 50-plus-helped run events featuring music and cooking demos. The farm stand became a seasonal hub for social connection and healthy eating. One volunteer said it was "wonderful to see all the fresh produce and feel part of something." Plans include continuing the farm stand and expanding different programs.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Shakopee, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: When a new development threatened to displace an active community garden, residents of Shakopee were disappointed. But the City of Shakopee saw an opportunity to move the garden in a more centrally accessible location near a popular bicycle and pedestrian route. This project added a concrete patio, new garden beds, seating, bike racks and trash and recycling bins to the new garden. With ADA-compliant features, including a concrete path and benches, the space is accessible to gardeners of all ages and abilities. Since the relocation, the garden provides fresh produce to families in need throughout Shakopee.
Chesapeake, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Residents in a low-income Chesapeake neighborhood lacked access to fresh food and safe spaces for social engagement. The project created an accessible community garden at a local library with raised beds, adaptive tools, wheelchair-friendly seating and Mobi-mat paths. Volunteers hosted a "Golden Age Garden Party" featuring health screenings, cooking demonstrations and chair yoga. The garden now provides fresh produce and a welcoming space for older adults to gather and exercise. "I now have access to fresh vegetables in my own backyard," said one resident.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Many of Reno's Native residents have limited access to fresh produce. To provide nutritious food to local families, the Center for Healthy Aging concerted a vacant lot into an intergenerational, indigenous community garden. The Center wanted to ensure the space was accessible and welcoming, so it installed ADA-compliant benches, raised garden beds and LED lighting in the space. Today, the garden hosts programming for people of all ages, including culinary classes, culturally relevant gardening instruction and a harvest festival.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Montpelier, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Montpelier's farmers market lacked shaded rest areas, leaving older adults vulnerable to heat and limiting their time at the market. To address this, the market added two rest tents with cushioned chairs, benches and water stations, plus rolling carts to help shoppers carry groceries. Volunteers maintain the spaces weekly, and the improvements have drawn praise from vendors and visitors, who say they can now stay longer and enjoy music and community events. The changes have made the market more accessible and social, with plans to expand seating and shade as demand grows.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Montpelier, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: To provide a place for cyclists and walkers to rest and socialize, this project developed a pocket park along an existing bike path. Guertin Pocket Park features a pergola -- a wooden structure with a roof -- to provide shelter from the sun or rain. Project organizers also incorporated seating and bike racks, as well as a rainwater collection system that feeds a small decorative garden. In 2021, the city decided to move the pocket park to a new location in the heart of downtown.
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