Healthy life community garden: food and neighborhood transformation

The Fairmont community faces many challenges. Poverty and crime are common in the community, as are food scarcity, obesity and diabetes. The Healthy Life Community Garden (HLCG) was established to address these issues. The garden has 21 raised beds, 557 m2 of open gardens, fruit trees and a welcoming community area. In addition to producing fresh food, the garden serves as a focal point for Extension educational programing and provides a safe location for community activities and social interaction. HLCG draws visitors from both within and outside the neighborhood and has helped solidify a broad coalition of city organizations with commercial and social interests in the area. Interest in the historic Rosenwald School, next to the garden fostered the Fairmont African-American Oral History Project, which records the oral histories of residents who participated in the Griffin Civil Rights Movement. HLCG generated interest in community assets and needs. The revitalization of Fairmont neighborhood parks and the Rosenwald School was added to the list of projects included in a sales tax proposal. The proposal was passed in the November 2015 election.