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Community Gardening Volunteers Needed
On Friday, June 14, at the Wyoming Collaborative Food Center on the Bridges Property at 5 Lane Ln., Sheridan, Rooted in Wyoming, and Love, Tito’s, the philanthropic heart of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, will join together in a community gardening project. They are calling for volunteers to help with the project.
The project is to enhance the Teaching Garden & Greenhouse as well as the Pilot Incubator Garden at the site of the old NSI Academy. This is a part of the Love, Tito’s Block to Block program.
Ian Cannon-Wallace, Program & Outreach Coordinator for Rooted in Wyoming, explains what they are doing with the gardens.
He also talked about how the Love, Tito’s Block to Block program started.
He added that last summer Titos reached out to Rooted in Wyoming and helped support them getting a garden started with Easter Seals. He said they enjoyed working with Rooted in Wyoming, and when they were looking for a group to support in the Rocky Mountain West, Rooted was one of the groups that they thought of. Cannon-Wallace said that Rooted asked for support to get the teaching garden and incubator garden started.
He said they also plan to use the space for gardeners who want to expand their space to grow plants. He added that some of the space will be used to grow produce for the school districts. They plan to grow potatoes, corn, tomatoes, onions, cabbage and carrots.
Cannon-Wallace said they talked to the school food programs about which crops to grow. “Certain crops are easier for schools to bring into their kitchens and utilize in the school lunch program. We’re hoping it’s going to be a productive summer.”
The teaching garden will be a little different type of space.
The teaching garden will provide hands-on learning experiences for adults interested in healthy living practices and sustainable gardening while providing fresh, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables for the local community.
Volunteers will be appreciated on June 14, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. They are needed to assist with a variety of tasks, including constructing metal raised garden beds and in-ground beds for vegetables, installing fencing and drip irrigation, creating compost stacks, and planting seedlings. The first shift will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the second shift will be from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Cannon-Wallace said that volunteers can help throughout the week as well, people can go to the Rooted in Wyoming website and contact them about volunteer opportunities.
The Love, Tito’s Block to Block community garden and farm program seeks to provide fresh and healthy food to communities by working alongside local nonprofit organizations and volunteers to create green spaces, including community gardens and farms, that nurture neighborhoods and make fresh food more accessible, one block at a time.
The program began in 2019 in just three cities and has since expanded to over 35 cities across the United States. Beyond getting their hands dirty building gardens and farms, Love, Tito’s is raising awareness for Block to Block and its nonprofit friends through a variety of local projects.
Giving back has been part of Tito’s Handmade Vodka from the very beginning. United under the goal of “Turning Spirits into Love & Goodness,” Love, Tito’s, the philanthropic heart of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, has supported tens of thousands of causes over the years—lending a hand to communities affected by natural disasters, spreading joy to those who need a little more, protecting the environment we all share, and developing programs to better serve our communities. For more information, visit lovetitos.com.
Rooted in Wyoming’s mission is to connect communities through local food by establishing gardens and food spaces with various partner organizations. Their educational programs connect people through gardens, cooking, and enjoying food. They are guided by the cultures and history of this place, by science, and by the awesome power of our environment. Rooted is dedicated to building and nurturing school and community gardens and local food projects across Wyoming. They are a registered 501c-3 non-profit organization managed by a board of directors consisting of community members.
