The 4 H Village Community Garden (Sylvester, GA)

Over Thanksgiving weekend we had the pleasure of going to Sylvester, GA where we were able to tour the 4 Village Community Garden. Sylvester is a small town of about 5000 people, but their garden is an epicenter of learning and community activism.

The farm is run by Mr. Sam and Ms. Eda and volunteer operated.

It started off as a small space for the community to come and grow to, and has grown into so much more. At the Village Community Garden the women in the town have come and taken control of their health, by working the land. They have had classes, and learned how to cook the food they’re growing. They’re getting exercise and sunlight. And they’ve been empowered by learning how to grow at their own homes as well.

This covered space is used for meetings, classes, processing, etc.

The Village Community Garden also has a wonderful relationship with the hospital. The hospital comes out and shares information with the community, and has provided signs for the plants, that name them and share their uses.

As the garden continued to grow, it’s purpose grew with it. And now it has become a research and educational space. They are developing techniques to be able to grow citrus, have a weather station (which finally allows them to know the exact weather for their small town), windmills (which will eventually be used for their future aquaponic system), showing how to maximize grow space, and so much more.

Visiting this farm was so exciting for us, because it was a kind of glimpse into the type of future we want. And Mr. Sam and Ms. Eda were so gracious and so willing to share how they were able to achieve what they’ve done so far. We left feeling inspired and empowered. We can’t wait to visit again in the future to see how much they’ve continued to grow. Maybe we’ll take a spring/ summer trip to see everything in bloom.

Gorgeous view overlooking this small pond.

There are painted gourds that line the smaller section of the farm. They were painted by kids in the community.

**This trip was funded by the Thriving Communities Grant and Southern Arizona Garden Projects Grant (through Native Seed).