Funded Projects - 2012

Congratulations to the 2012 Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints mini grant recipients! This year Green Thumbs received a record number of applications. Thank you to all who applied. For more information on accessible gardening, accessible design suggestions, and to take part in the Green Thumbs online forum, visit our web page at http://greenthumbs.cedwvu.org. Listed below are the 2012 grant recipients and a brief description of each project.

PACE (Morgantown) is a community rehabilitation center for adults with disabilities. This project expanded their current accessible garden with elevated raised beds and a pulley system for a hanging container garden. The garden provided a forum for training and potential employment opportunities for the agency's consumers. Produce raised from the garden will continue to be sold at local farmers markets and used in PACE's own Food Service Training Academy.
Alderson Manor (Alderson) is a housing complex serving older adults and people with disabilities. A raised bed garden was built to provide recreation opportunities as well as fresh produce for residents. The garden project aimed to provide a low-impact alternative for home gardens as many residents hail from farming families.
Jackson County Extension, Jackson County Master Gardeners and voc ag students teamed up to build two accessible community gardens. One garden is located at the Jackson County Fair Grounds and the other at the Jackson County Middle School. Each garden is open to all so everyone can have the opportunity to grow their own produce. Public education classes teach topics on vegetable production and nutrition awareness.
Jefferson County Council on Aging (Charles Town) incorporated horticulture therapy into daily programs offered at its Jefferson Center. The Jefferson Center offers day habilitation and prevocational skills programs to its clients with disabilities. The overall goal of the horticulture therapy program is to provide an opportunity for clients to grow their own plants and vegetables to sell to the surrounding community.
Jefferson County Council on Aging (Ranson) expanded their existing accessible garden to include garden flower wheels and a pulley system for a hanging garden. JCCOA serves older adults in Jefferson County by providing nutrition and in-home care services, as well as transportation and recreation activities.
Wayne County Community Services (Fort Gay) expanded their existing garden at the Fort Gay Multi-Purpose Senior Center to include three new raised beds as well as stools and benches for resting areas. Educational events were held throughout the year on vegetable production, proper tool use and accessible gardening techniques.
Agsten Homes (Charleston) completed its final construction phase of their community garden. This phase included adding trellises and planters that are wheelchair accessible. This garden was started by the residents of this housing complex for older adults.
PRIDE Community Services (Logan) expanded its current accessible garden to be twice its current size by adding more raised beds and a resting area. This project has the added dynamic of being intergenerational. The garden is located between Logan's senior center and Head Start Center. Public education efforts include nutrition awareness and cooking classes to show how to use produce and herbs from the garden with meal preparation.
Mineral County Family Resource Network (Keyser) built on last year's success with raised bed gardens and education outreach at residential and day facilities for seniors. Existing raised beds were replanted at partnership sites. Raised beds were built at the project's newest site. In addition, workshops were conducted again to teach plant care, ergonomic tool selection and plant use.
Manna Meal Community Garden (Charleston) added raised garden beds to its existing community garden. Gardening with Mobility Issues, a workshop to increase awareness around accessible gardening and the Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints project, was presented to the garden's volunteers. Manna Meal hopes this project will provide more opportunities for gardeners with mobility limitations and musculoskeletal conditions to volunteer.
Ceredo Manor (Ceredo) implemented its first phase in transforming garden into an accessible one. A raised bed was built on an existing concrete slab to provide gardening opportunities to residents of all abilities of this housing community. The project's goal was to prevent stress put on joints by bending and stooping while gardening. Demonstrations on ergonomic tools and garden care were provided throughout the growing season.
St. Peter Claver Church (Huntington) added raised garden beds to their community garden. This pilot project was started last growing season to assist in the revitalization of the Fairfield West neighborhood. Public demonstrations were offered during the growing and harvest seasons to increase knowledge about the community garden efforts, accessible gardening and ergonomic tools.
Wetzel County Senior Citizens Center (Hundred) established this garden as one part of a new local food initiative beginning in Wetzel County. This initiative included programs in education, growing and marketing of locally grown food. This garden aims to be intergenerational by older gardeners mentoring students from the local high school in garden care and vegetable production. Garden maintenance is provided by the New Martinsville Rotary and the Wetzel County Committee on Aging.
West Milford Community Complex (West Milford) enhanced its current accessible gardens throughout the complex. Community partners will continue to address accessibility issues so the gardens can be easily maintained by community members of all abilities. Ergonomic tools and accessible designs will continue to be incorporated into the community garden projects.
Marshall County Senior Citizens Center (Moundsville) acquired the use of four raised flower beds from their local BB&T branch. This donation, along with Green Thumbs, Healthy Joints funding, provided gardening opportunities to the center's members.
Pocahontas County Senior Center (Edray/Marlinton) introduced gardening as a way to increase daily activity levels of its members. Raised garden beds were built and food map containers will be used to establish the garden.