Grow Macon, Inc. is having a planting session on Saturday, December 9, beginning at 10:00 a.m. for the community garden they built at 1108 Eastview Avenue. They need about 20 volunteers to help with the planting and to work with nearby residents on caring for them. The garden was created several months ago to help provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the residents of the apartments across the street, where most of the children Grow Macon serve live. 

“This community garden will serve as a transformative force for the area by bringing people together and helping build relationships as they work towards a common goal,” says Charmiska Myers, a lifelong resident of East Macon and founder of Grow Macon. “I see this garden as more than just a source of fresh produce; it will be a catalyst for building a sense of community pride, purpose, and ownership.” 

When Grow Macon last hosted a volunteer event, about 50 people showed up to help build the first 14 beds. There are still three more to be built, but organizers say the focus Saturday will be on planting and helping show residents how to plant and care for the gardens. 

The first round of plants in the raised beds are considered cold weather crops, including collards, broccoli, cabbage, lemon grass, snapdragons, Swiss chard, mustard greens, pansies, cilantro, and parsley. All the plants were bought by Grow Macon from the horticultural and agricultural departments at Northeast High School and Appling Middle School.

“We really want to help get more people, especially those in low-income communities, to grow fresh food on their own,” adds Myers. “We’ll be showing them what to do, providing them with easy-to-use pamphlets, and giving them a number to call if they need further assistance.” 

Grow Macon is in its second year as a Macon Violence Prevention partner, having received grants both years through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. This year’s program is The Shared Roots Initiative, an urban community garden project dedicated to reducing food insecurity and providing more supervised youth activities while fostering character development and relationship building within their community. For the second year, they received a grant of $20,000.

“I strongly believe a strong and united community is the key to reducing violent crime and creating a brighter future for East Macon,” says Myers.

For more information about the community garden and how you can get involved with Grow Macon, please contact Charmiska Myers at [email protected] or call 478-216-8447.