"Being here makes me happy."

That's how one young gardener described his experiences at the Seeds of Hope, Harvest of Pride Community Garden.

The Hopkins County Extension Service and Master Gardener Association partnered with the Madisonville Housing Authority to develop this community garden. More than 200 Master Gardener volunteer hours and a grant from the Kentucky Integrated Pest Management Program made the project possible.

More than 30 children participated in the weekly gardening session. Each week a brief lesson was presented on horticultural topics, diversity or nutrition. Plant diseases, insects and basic IPM principles including soil testing, recognizing beneficial insects and reducing pesticides when possible were emphasized. After each lesson the children planted, weeded, watered and harvested their own plots and a shared garden space.

Based on a formula developed by the USDA and National Gardening Association the 1,040 sq. foot garden produced $2,184 worth of produce! Plus, parents reported they and the children were eating more vegetables.

The Seeds of Hope, Harvest of Pride Community Garden will be expanded in the summer of 2001.