U.S. government awards prizes to teams making community gardens accessible
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living selected 70 winning teams for the Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge.
This national competition gathered ideas to improve community gardens for older adults and people with physical disabilities or intellectual and developmental disabilities. The winning teams proposed several changes to garden layouts and equipment. These include adjusting the heights of raised beds, providing adaptive gardening tools, and creating new inclusion programs.
The Department of Agriculture connects these gardens through a broader initiative called The People’s Garden. The winners of the first phase will receive $4,000 each. These teams can now enter a second phase to carry out their plans, where they may earn an additional $8,000 based on their results. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated that these improvements help people access nutritious food and healthy outdoor activities.
