Grimes County community garden aims to bring fresh produce to ‘food desert’
BEDIAS, Texas (KBTX) – The Grimes Health Resource Center received a grant from St. Joseph Health to build a community garden in Grimes County.
Grimes County is considered a “food desert”, according to the Brazos Valley Food Bank, which means there is little to no access to fresh, healthy food in the immediate area.
In Bedias, the future location of the community garden means additional options for buying groceries as the community is currently limited to dollar stores and convenience stores. There are no big box grocery stores in the area.
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Map of Bedias
Shannon Avila, Programs Director of the Brazos Valley Food Bank, said the lack of access to fresh produce impacts community health.
“The least expensive food tends to be the food that has the least nutritional value to us. You can fill up on calories but not necessarily the nutrients that your body needs to help you live your best life,” she said.
When living in a food desert like Grimes County, community gardens are one way to close that gap in nutrition.
“A lot of our people that we work with and we talk to can’t afford the healthy foods so this was a way to bring in the healthy food,” Lara Meece, director of the Grimes Health Resource Center, said.
Meece said they hope to start tilling the ground in March. In the meantime, the Brazos Valley Food Bank has a community garden in need of volunteers.
The benefits aren’t just nutritional.
“Socialization, being out with your neighbors, and, you know, that sense of accomplishment whenever you harvest something is going to be huge for a lot of people,” Meece added.
Soon, residents will have fresh produce and new gardening skills.
