Cavalier County Students Spearhead Farm-to-Table Gardening

By Stephanie Welsh, Cavalier County Health District

With the intent to improve overall health through better nutrition, a farm-to-table program in Cavalier County has continued to expand due to its popularity and support from its community.

To increase local youths' connection with where their food comes from, Cavalier County Health District (CCHD) launched a farm-to-table gardening project in 2022 and today, the program providing access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables continues to expand.

Initially, CCHD partnered with Langdon Area Schools (LAS) Technology and Engineering Education students to build raised community garden boxes. The boxes were designed to allow access throughout the growing season for community members of all ages and abilities, and locations were chosen primarily in areas where food insecure populations may visit. The host sites included businesses, government organizations, long-term care facilities, schools, and community groups. After LAS' Family and Consumer Science students planted the seeds, these sites agreed to provide care and watering for the boxes and oversee harvest and final clean up. Each year, 35 raised garden boxes are placed at 12 Cavalier County host sites.

The county overcame weather challenges during planting season by placing two hydroponic tower gardens inside all county schools and one in a preschool. These gardens were used in classroom and after-school club settings to continue farm-to-table education during winter months, with an added benefit of providing fresh produce within lunchroom salad bars.

This year, the project included an in-ground community garden located at the Cavalier County Courthouse as the county offered space and staff to care for the garden. Project funds supported the cost of tilling and plants. Plans are in place to add more perennial plants to increase sustainability and cost efficiency of the garden for future years.

"It's been a privilege for NDSU Extension in Cavalier County to be a part of this effort that helps our community members be part of a field-to-fork initiative," said Katie Henry, NDSU Extension Agent. "It fits well within our mission of empowering North Dakotans through science-based education, and we plan to continue this partnership for the benefit of our citizens."

While the focus of the garden boxes and in-ground garden are to teach youth, community members are also encouraged to watch the progress of the gardens, provide care, and participate in the produce harvest.

"The gardens have really made an impact on our community," Henry said. "From older adults grateful to gather only the amount of fresh produce they need and not have to care for a whole garden to a student who began gardening with her family and tells us she loves vegetables now, the project allows all ages to take an active role in not only tending to the plants but learning how they grow and when to harvest."

CCDH, NDSU Extension and Cavalier County Library teamed up to offer a seed library where patrons can check out seeds at no cost at the library in the spring and prepare and return seeds harvested from their gardens in the fall for next season's check-out. The program offered twelve varieties of seeds, selected with novice gardeners in mind, and participants checked out over 130 seed packets.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant, Maternal and Child Health Services.