Community gardens improve access to fresh food in Springfield neighborhood

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens was created in 2012 to expand access to fresh produce.

Garden Manager Carey Smith says access to healthy food is difficult in Enos Park and surrounding areas.

"Our area in particular is a food desert," said Smith. "It's very hard to find affordable food in this neighborhood outside of the dollar store, which is wonderful for convenience and affordability, but not so good for nutrition."

There are several different gardens located on the property at 1022 N. 5th Street in Springfield. One is a communal garden where anyone can volunteer and pick produce and another is the personal plots, where people can pay ten dollars a year to grow their own produce. The garden also has a prairie section where butterflies and bees have access to native plants, and a neighborhood compost area.

Smith says the gardens do more than just aid in the health of the neighborhood. They build connections between volunteers.

"We don't have a community center in our neighborhood, we have a garden, we have a place for people to come to relax, to meet other people who are in the community, or other people who are volunteering for various groups," said Smith. "When people think of community gardens the first thing that comes to mind is just the produce, but what we have here is a community. And I feel like a lot of people realize they are they're lacking that and don't know how to access it."

This year, Smith started the "Grow a Gardener" program. Experienced gardeners can volunteer to mentor new people who are interested in learning how to grow their own food.

If you are interested in volunteering or want more information, you can check the Enos Park Neighborhood Gardens website.