WIC Community Garden

Johnson County Government established a community garden in May 2013 that grows fresh produce for Kansas WIC (Women, Infants and Children) families. WIC is a program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food and other services to Kansas families who qualify. WIC's goal is to help keep pregnant and breastfeeding women, new moms, and kids under age 5 healthy. The current WIC program provides a stipend for families to shop for healthy, nutritious foods. Qualified nursing mothers and pregnant women receive $10 per month for fruits and vegetables, and children who qualify receive $6 per month. The WIC Community Garden is designed to increase the amount of vegetables available to WIC families at no cost.

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and eggplant are some of the vegetables, along with parsley and basil, that were planted and are flourishing in the WIC Community Garden. Johnson County Government employees and WIC recipients volunteer their time weekly (every Tuesday morning) to weed and harvest what the garden produces. The WIC Community Garden project is a collaboration between many Johnson County government program partners: Johnson County Facilities Department, including the Sustainability Program; Environmental Division; Health Education Division and WIC of the Health and Environment Department; Access to Healthy Foods Coalition; and K-State Research and Extension. Johnson County Government was awarded a grant to begin this community garden through the Kansas Community Gardens Project, a joint initiative of the Kansas Health Foundation and K-State Research and Extension.

The goal of the WIC Community Garden is to educate, empower and feed the families in the Kansas WIC program, creating a healthier community.

In a three-month period, 356.8 pounds of fresh vegetables were given to WIC families.

For the time period of May to July 2013, there were 39 volunteers donating 77.5 hours of maintaining and harvesting the WIC Community Garden. For the same time period, 356.8 pounds of fresh vegetables have been given to WIC families to enjoy.