The Norwalk Health Department, its partners, and families in the Growing Gardens, Growing Health program celebrated another successful summer session with a harvest party at Fodor Farm on Monday.
Over 9 weeks this summer, parents worked with master gardeners and a registered dietitian to plant, grow, and use fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They received practical, family-friendly information about nutrition and improved their skills and confidence by making fun, healthy recipes during cooking lessons. Kids were able to get their hands dirty planting and tending to tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and more in their family garden plots. They also learned about healthy eating and tasted the new recipes their parents made.
On Monday, families from Growing Gardens, Growing Health harvested crops from the garden, enjoyed some favorite recipes from the summer, and celebrated a job well done.
“Growing Gardens, Growing Health could not thrive without its valuable partnerships,” explained Norwalk Health Department health educator Theresa Argondezzi. “We are so grateful for our incredible partners at the University of Connecticut Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and our Master Gardener and Master Gardener interns, who provided family friendly instruction and guidance all summer. We also worked with Cooking Matters at the Store and ShopRite in Norwalk to offer a grocery store tour and shopping challenge, and the City of Norwalk’s Department of Recreation and Parks generously offered the use of Fodor Farm. This program is made possible by the generous funding support of the Campbell’s Healthy Communities Program.”