At the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden, Chattanooga Area Food Bank President & CEO Gina Crumbliss (left) receives a donation from Master Gardener and Chairwoman of the 31st Annual Spring Garden Tour Patsy Boles (right) on behalf of the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County
From the proceeds from its 31st Annual Spring Garden Tour on June 2-3, the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County made a $3,000 gift to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. The donation will be used for the operations and related programs of the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden.
“The Master Gardeners of Hamilton County generously support the Chattanooga Area Food Bank through the Annual Spring Garden Tour, as well as the expertise and efforts they share with us every day,” said Chattanooga Area Food Bank President & CEO Gina Crumbliss. “Master Gardeners helped create the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden, and they are essential to ensuring it continues to produce healthy food and educational programming for our community.”
In addition to benefiting the Food Bank through the Spring Garden Tour, members of the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County regularly volunteer their talents in the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden located behind the Food Bank, 2009 Curtain Pole Road in Chattanooga.
Approximately 2,000 pounds of vegetables are grown every year in the garden’s 23 raised beds, including beans, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, peppers, okra and more. Produce harvested is distributed through the Food Bank’s Emergency Food Box program, which provided 13,283 boxes to households at risk for hunger in Hamilton County in 2017.
“While the homes featured on the tour are aspirational, anyone can enjoy gardening at home, even if the only room they have is in raised beds or on windowsills, which is what we hope to inspire with the Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden,” said Master Gardener Patsy Boles, chairwoman of the 31st Annual Spring Garden Tour. “Our members are proud to support the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and serve a larger purpose of feeding our neighbors in need.”
The Evelyn Davenport Navarre Teaching Garden also features a pavilion that is used for educational programs. Information and seeds are available at no cost to those wishing to start or expand their own garden. For more details or to volunteer, contact 423-622-1800.