A recently approved Itta Bena community garden now has an official location behind City Hall.
The garden is intended as a place where children will plant and grow their own produce, which they will sell in a weekend market.
The project is being implemented by the Advancing, Inspiring, Motivating for Community Health (AIM for CHangE) program with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. The town’s Board of Aldermen approved the plan in March and attached a request that the gardening team talk with Itta Bena residents around proposed areas and make sure the community’s support was apparent. The board unanimously approved the location Tuesday.
Debra Hibbler, a representative for the program, told the board during the meeting that out of the 16 households surrounding the area, all were in favor of the project.
Showing a survey of positive responses to the board, Hibbler also presented quotes from the families, with one saying, “It would be nice for the community,” and another saying, “It is good to have youth involved.”
Hibbler has said that the garden project is intended to teach young people about farming and hard work while also improving the overall health of the city.
The next step, she said, is to conduct a soil test to see what kind of agricultural space they have and to decide what modifications are needed.
A timetable was not discussed.
A second facet of the project, which was briefly discussed during the meeting, is the establishment of the weekend market. Hibbler has said the team is looking at two locations — one on Dorothy Street and another in the downtown park.
The board did not take on this aspect of the project.
- Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. On Twitter at @AdamBakst_GWCW.
