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Geographical Center Historical Society (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Community Gardens
└ Community Gardens
To help Rugby's residents access fresh produce, the Geographical Center Historical Society worked to turn an underused outdoor space into a fruit orchard. The space sits on the campus of the Prairie Village Museum, which is located in a food desert. To activate the space, Society reseeded the grass and planted fruit trees and shrubs. They also installed ADA-accessible park benches, tables and bike racks. Project organizers plan to invite students to the orchard for demonstrations on techniques for picking, washing and preserving the fruits.
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Luverne, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Project Food Forest installed three sculptural trellises at the Prairie Ally Outdoor Center. Home to the community's food forest, garden beds at the five-acre site feature edible and medicinal plants. To commemorate Luverne's agricultural history, artists constructed each trellis out of old farm and garden tools. Project organizers also added signs displaying the common and scientific names for plants in the forest, as well as two picnic tables. Located near downtown, the site is accessible by a popular biking and walking path. The forest is open to the public daily and the Outdoor Center offers guided tours and workshops onsite.
Center Township, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Edna Martin Christian Center set out to provide food access, recreation options and income opportunities for residents of the Martindale-Brightwood area by creating a new urban garden space. To extend the growing season, project organizers built a hoop house at its Henry Blair Farm and Urban Gardens. The Center installed raised garden beds at the site, designed for gardeners to use while standing. New walking paths also ensured the gardens' accessibility. In addition, the Center created a labyrinth for prayer and medication, as well as a farm stand made from a repurposed shipping container. Project organizers envision residents using the beds for entrepreneurial projects, such as growing flowers or vegetable seedlings to sell at the farm stand. They also anticipate the gardens' operation needs will create employment opportunities for local older adults.
Billings, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: This project will expand a community garden by adding four raised beds, allowing gardeners of all ages to grow a wider variety of produce. The garden will donate its harvest to local food pantries.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Rolette County, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Project organizers planted fruit trees and native plants, enhancing a new garden on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa powwow grounds. The community gardening space featured turtle-shaped pots, which hold flowers and plants -- such as sweet grass and silver sage -- needed for traditional medicines. The Committee hopes fruit from the trees will feed community members and visitors to the annual Powwow celebration. Additionally, the popularity of the turtle-themed planters inspired a fundraising idea. Powwow organizers plan to create similar planters to sell in the future, with proceeds going toward running the Powwow.
Souris, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will create a wall mural depicting stories, photos and memorabilia about Souris gathered from older residents. The effort will also add a seating area near the mural and create a display inside the historic Souris Bank building.
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