By Seth Trucott, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences
PASCO, Wash. – Staff from the Pasco Lowe’s store built and installed nearly 100 community garden beds to help feed local families, and the Master Gardeners of Benton and Franklin counties recently saluted their efforts with the 2016 Volunteer of the Year award.
More than 45 Lowe’s Heroes volunteers contributed time, funds and supplies to build and install eight gardens over the past three years for the Master Gardeners’ food garden team. The gardens contain 99 raised beds and support more than 100 low-income families, including 200 children.
Bill Dixon, Master Gardener with the Washington State University Extension program and chair of its food garden committee, estimated that each new garden bed can produce up to 100 pounds of fresh vegetables per year, saving Pasco-area families a combined $20,000 annually.
“The WSU Master Gardener program and the food garden team rely heavily on the contribution of our member and community volunteers,” he said.
The award was presented to Carlos Barrington, store manager, at a Lowe’s employee meeting.
With more than 164 participants, the food garden team trains volunteers to be effective community educators for gardening and environmental stewardship. Participants must contribute volunteer hours as part of their WSU Master Gardener certification program.
For more information on the food garden program, contact Bill Dixon at 509-531-5913 or wtdixon3@gmail.com or the WSU Extension Office at 509-735-3551. For more information about Lowe’s community efforts, visit https://newsroom.lowes.com/.
News media contact:
Bill Dixon, WSU Master Gardener, 509-531-5913, wtdixon3@gmail.com
