A $94k grant may return Fodor Farm back to its roots. The grant would fund irrigation and landscaping, a tool shed and some marketing of a new community garden program aimed at fighting obesity.
“It’s an obesity-prevention grant. The concept really is about preventing and reducing obesity among Norwalk residents, and research shows that when people grow their own vegetables and herbs, they’re more likely to consume them,” said Gabrielle Grode, healthy lifestyles associate at the Norwalk Department of Health. “Also, gardening is a moderate physical activity, so they’re gaining access to fresh food and being more physically.”
Grode said the grant will pay for irrigation, landscaping, tools, a tool shed, composting, a marketing campaign to attract people to the garden, and an education effort to highlight links among nutrition, gardening and physical activity.
She credits the Department of Recreation and Parks and its director, Michael Mocciae, with advancing the concept of a community garden at the Fodor Farm property.
The garden will occupy roughly 1.8 acres of the larger 9.2-acre property that the city acquired with the help of a state open space grant in 1997.
“It’s a great project. It’s going to be a wonderful addition to the Fodor Farm property, and it gets the idea rolling for more of an educational learning (use of the land),” Mocciae said. “Everything is ready to go. We’ve done a lot of clearing as far as the brush. The garden is going to be in the big field area. We’re going to be doing a big opening (this spring). They’ll be planting first week of May.”
The city has yet to determine the exact size, number and annual rental costs of the garden plots. Tentatively, 4-by-12-feet plots will be available for individuals at a “very reasonable” rental fee, and larger plots will be available for community groups free of charge.
“We are going to be working with some community groups,” said Rhonda Collins, health department health education coordinator. “We’ll be working with the housing authority and some of the after-school programs and community centers, as well as some of the surrounding schools. They will be getting a plot at no charge. We are encouraging the community to participate.”
The community garden plan comes as the city moves toward selling two vacant, city-owned houses at the Fodor Farm Property.
source: The Hour, Fodor Farm may spring to life again Community gardens proposed for property, by Robert Koch, February 10, 2008
