Growing Fresh Food in the City Las Vegas - Tonopah Community Garden!

Create a caring and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We will produce fresh food for residents of the city, increase the health of families, assist those who are overweight and obese to get back to a healthy life, provide youth leadership opportunities, and inspire and support others to create change in their own communities.

Tonopah Community Garden is a non-profit group,  is comprised of a group of urban gardeners and concerned citizens, which seeks to provide: Job training and employment as apprentice gardeners for youth from the local community, Increased self-esteem and integration into the community for local youth, Intervention in the cycle of poverty for youth from the local community, Increased access to healthy, high quality, fresh food in the community, especially for low-income residents, Education to the community at-large on organic gardening, soil health and clean-up, nutrition, and cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Their goal is to educate the community about growing fresh food which improves people’s quality of life as well as providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education. We will provide fresh food to seniors, homeless shelters, schools and the community.

Urban gardening provides access to local, organic, affordable, fresh and nutritious food. In this time of economic crisis and rising food prices, urban gardening can help create green jobs and stimulate the growth of home gardens. Urban gardening helps build community bonds and bring a truly local flavor to farmers’ markets. Urban gardening can meet the needs of people for more locally grown, sustainable raised, pesticide-free food and flowers. We have the climate and we have the space. This will encourage self-reliance, beautify neighborhoods and conserve green space in middle of city. These urban gardens will help feed people today and keep cities healthful for future generations while focusing on community nutrition through garden food production.

Growing our own food puts us in control of our health, nutrition, and cultural food needs while reducing the environmental impact of our food system. And you have a place where members of the community can come to harvest produce that goes directly from garden to plate.

Benefits of Community Gardens:

• Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
• Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
• Stimulates Social Interaction
• Encourages Self-Reliance
• Beautifies Neighborhoods
• Produces Nutritious Food
• Reduces Family Food Budgets
• Conserves Resources
• Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
• Reduces Crime
• Preserves Green Space
• Creates income opportunities and economic development
• Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots

This project offers enrichment and practical work experience to youth participants of the Tonopah Community Garden who will have the chance to participate in all aspects of growing produce organically and selling it to the community.  In addition to their hands-on growing experience, the youth will develop leadership and teamwork skills, set personal goals, and give and receive feedback.  They will also learn about and advocate for healthy food choices, and reflect on issues such as the environmental and health benefits of sustainable agriculture, hunger, and the importance of a local food economy.

Source: http://aturningpoint.wordpress.com/about-the-organization/