New Orleans, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: Located within a food desert, the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans has endured hurricanes and years of disinvestment. To give residents a gathering space, provide healthy food and create a respite from hot weather, Water Wise Gulf South and the Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association planned a new community orchard and vegetable garden. Volunteers cleared the site of debris and overgrowth. They then spread hardwood mulch in the orchard area and planted orange, lemon and persimmon trees. In the garden they built planter boxes and filled them with spinach, lettuce, mustard greens and passionflower vines. The site incorporates solar-powered charging stations a pavilion to provide shade and green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff. Organizers hope the orchard and garden will allow for neighborhood events, access to fresh food and opportunities to educate locals about stormwater management and food production.

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.

South Tucson, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: The Primavera Foundation improved the La Capilla neighborhood's community garden by building raised bed planters, adding ADA-compliant benches and making garden walking paths more accessible. In addition, the Foundation purchased ergonomic and adaptive tools, since the majority of residents who use the garden are older adults, often accompanied by their grandchildren. The garden improvements coincided with the City of South Tucson's Greenway Redevelopment Project, which brought public art to the neighborhood. To celebrate local residents' heritage, project organizers also installed a walking path to a mural located next to the garden. That mural -- created by student artists -- pays homage to the Yaqui and Mexican American cultures. Since this project's completion, the Foundation has made similar upgrades to another community garden.