Bush Hills community garden and urban teaching farm was set up in 2018, and since its inception, it has only grown more and more valuable to its surrounding community. April Myers Williams, who helped found and maintain the work for both the garden and community, said“The garden has become a central part of the community. It’s beautiful to see how it has blessed food to its surroundings.”
When asked about the impacts of COVID-19, she also shared that, “much how the pandemic has affected everybody worldwide, the garden is no different. Bush Hills is located in a food desert, so restricted travel on top of not having access to your own vehicle means that many residents struggle to reach the necessary grocery stores, which allow access to nutritious fruit and vegetables.” However, Bush Hills community garden has created a safe place for residents to come and receive vital food resources.
Both local resident and non-resident volunteers are also a major part of the garden’s upkeep, and many Birmingham organizations such as Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham Bar Association, UAB, Alabama Power and Jones Valley Teaching Farm have been involved with the ongoing work in Bush Hills. Projects such as community cleanups, landscaping, food giveaways, and educational demonstrations on how to fertilize, cultivate, and harvest food are just some of the impressive ways Bush Hills connections have given back to this community.
Elana Morchower has been involved with multiple different environmental organizations and issues over the years. She shared that “I have always loved nature, but I wanted to understand just how important both social and environmental issues are first hand.” She recently took part in the December cleanup project with Bush Hills and has also helped to harvest plants with some other students from Birmingham-Southern College in the community garden. She said that “The cleanup was much larger than I expected. We had to split up into teams to cover the area. I really enjoyed the experience.”
I asked her how other people could get involved and she explained that “Bush Hills does an amazing job of educating and bringing awareness to the issue of food deserts. You should definitely come to the gardens, even if it’s just to enjoy and appreciate the space.” The work which continues in the garden is a great example of strength in the community and food is donated to neighbors on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
So, how can you get involved? Whilst Bush Hills has impressively been able to offer residents free produce and classes in growing and cultivating, non-residents are encouraged to make a donation to support the garden. You can find more ways to get involved and follow the amazing work of Bush Hills by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Elana Morchower
