MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in growing food, well-being, and community.
Kenneth Anderson is the Volunteer Executive Director of Everbloom Farmacy, a non-profit organization that cultivates community, connection, learning, and food security through homestead gardening.
“We see food access and food security as being vital for any community to thrive, and we believe that having a model that allows people to create a local food system by growing their own food is something that would not only be beneficial for Memphis but beneficial for most urban areas,” said Anderson.
Through their seedling program, they support and provide kitchen gardens, every season, for families to grow their own food at home for free.
“Those gardens consist of 18 vegetable and herb plants as starters, and they’re seasonal vegetables. So right now, we’re growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, lettuce, and okra,” he said.
If you don’t have a green thumb, that’s ok. They’re out in the community providing workshops and have a community learning nursery.
“That’s comprised of teaching volunteers and community members how to germinate and grow from seed here on the farm. We do that in our 3,000 square-foot-high tunnel up front, as well as in our small grow tent,” Anderson said.
📡 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.
📧 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
Samuel Ballard is an avid gardener and volunteer and knows the importance of Everbloom Farmacy in our community.
“I think gardening is like a civilized, you know, it causes people to feel nicer toward each other,” said Ballard. “It means having some access to food your body needs. It’s a health thing. And so, I thought that having whole food that you grow yourself would be a lot better.”
That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to Everbloom Pharmacy. Because having access to fresh fruits and vegetables year-round should not be a burden financially.