The Damayan Garden Project began in 1992 and is the second oldest community garden organization in
the United States. Working in Tallahassee, Florida and growing to surrounding communities,
Damayan’s mission remains to promote sustainable, local food production, and sow the seeds of
healthy living and ecological awareness through hands-on gardening activities. To that end, we go
into schoolyards and community centers providing soil, seeds and knowledgeable, passionate
volunteers to bring fresh, locally grown produce to our neighbors. We particularly target “food
deserts,” in low-income areas with little access to healthy, fresh food.
By sharing the joy of gardening with our community we are able to impart the importance of eating
sustainable, local, organic produce. By teaching children where food comes from we reconnect them
with the land. Children get excited about watching their food grow once they are pulled away from
the sedentary lifestyles to which they have become accustomed and get active, outdoors, and digging
in the dirt. Through these methods, Damayan has been effective in getting children enthusiastic
about eating healthy. Additionally, by pulling individuals out of their homes and into gardens, we
are re-establishing a sense of community lacking in many neighborhoods. All of this encourages
people to take control of what they eat. The community interest thus generated has allowed Damayan
to establish numerous gardens of lasting impact.
Fresh produce is often more expensive and/or unavailable in low-income areas (Examining the Impact
of Food Deserts on Public Health in CHICAGO - July 18, 2006, Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting
Group, available at http://marigallagher.com/projects/). Fast food and junk food are abundant in
these areas, creating food deserts where unhealthy food is cheaper than local, organic options.
These foods are not only the leading cause of type II diabetes and other health issues but are often
produced in distant factory farms, using chemical-dependent agriculture, which leads to severe
widespread environmental impacts.
Damayan is in a unique position to address these problems. Pooling resources from local gardening
experts, businesses, and three local universities, Damayan has created and helps maintain over
twenty community gardens in the Tallahassee area. Using minimal funds and a constant flow of
dedicated volunteers that are motivated to make a difference, Damayan has made great strides towards
food sustainability in North Florida.
Damayan can make Nature Path’s generous grant go further than it otherwise would due to our
having an established organization, several existing community gardens, and a group of passionate
volunteers. Currently, Damayan has three gardens in the planning stages, one of these gardens would
be shared with one of the largest contributors to local food drives, and numerous possible gardens
to pioneer. If Damayan receives this grant, Nature’s Path would be allying with an organization
that not only shares their mission but is actively achieving it.
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