“Hunger Garden” dedicated in Uniontown
Riley Lake, 2, of Uniontown places a plant at Uniontown’s Hunger Garden along West Main Street at a dedication ceremony Thursday.
Uniontown Redevelopment Authority Director Mark Rafail places a plant in Uniontown’s Hunger Garden along West Main Street at a dedication ceremony Thursday.
Life Scout Johnathan Buckel plants one of the first plants in Uniontown’s Hunger Garden along West Main Street at a dedication ceremony Thursday. Buckel is working on the project to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.
Locals struggling with food insecurity will have access to fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to a collaborative community effort to plant Hunger Gardens in downtown Uniontown.
Local community organizations and politicians gathered for a dedication ceremony Thursday evening, which will serve as an Eagle Scout project for Geibel Catholic High School sophomore Johnathan Buckel. State Rep. Matt Dowling, R-Uniontown, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Fayette County Community Action Agency and Master Gardeners of Penn State Extension were among those who worked on the project. Food will go toward the Fayette County food bank, and locals who need food can pick it from the gardens.
One-third of Fayette County children live below the federal poverty level, according Jim Stark, executive director of the food bank. In 2017, 20,650 people, or 15.3 percent of the population, qualified as food insecure in Fayette County.
“We have a serious problem, but if we come together as a community we’ll be able to keep that problem at bay,” Dowling said.
State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, said a hunger garden was dedicated in Harrisburg yesterday.
“Together we can do a lot, and together we can solve these problems, not someone sitting at a desk in Harrisburg and not someone down in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
He said the gardens serve as a reminder that some people are lacking for basic needs.
Muriel Nuttall, executive director and secretary of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Redstone Foundation, which owns the gardens, also said she hopes the Hunger Gardens serve as a reminder.
“Every time you see these gardens, remember to take care of our neighbors in the community,” she said.
Uniontown Redevelopment Authority Director Mark Rafail said small hunger gardens were planted last year to see how well they worked in serving food insecure people in the community.
“Next thing I know, people are picking peppers off plants and they’re eating them,” he said. “That’s awesome.”
Buckel said the garden will include strawberries, peppers and other fruits and vegetables, depending on the season. He said he is glad his project will serve the community and those struggling with hunger. The event and attention was overwhelming and exciting for him, he said. He took a look at the sign for the first time Thursday, and was surprised to see his name on it.
“I now have my name on a piece of Uniontown. It’s crazy. It feels like a big accomplishment,” he said.
Master Gardeners took nutrient samples and assessed the site, planning for the small gardens to produce a fruitful yield, said Valerie Sesler, Master Gardener Coordinator of Penn State Extension Fayette.
She said the Hunger Garden can also educate the community that fruitful gardens can be planted anywhere.
“You don’t need to have a big area of land for you to grow some vegetables and feed your family,” she said.