![]() ![]() September and October were two of the rainiest months of 2021 in Pensacola, according to precipitation records from the National Weather Service. And although Pensacola was not directly hit, it did leave minor damage to the garden, downing some of their trellises. Hurricane Ida swept through the eastern United States in August and September 2021. But after an unusually wet September and October, her seedlings were over-saturated and she had to purchase plants for the first time. Since stepping into her role, Eubanks had taken pride in starting her own seedlings. ![]() The heirloom variety is called Papa Sylvest, and it came from New Orleans, which is my hometown.” We have my favorite thing, mirliton, and that is a vegetable. We have lots of lettuces, we have roots and carrots and radishes and beets and turnips all started. The weather has been unseasonably warm, so we still have peppers in the garden, which could be unusual for a regular winter in Zone 9A. We have collards everywhere, we have herbs like dill. “It’s winter and our brassicas are in full bloom. The 172 x 160 foot garden located just under Interstate 10 in Downtown Pensacola is full of fruits, vegetables and herbs. So sometimes I may not get my hands dirty at all, but sometimes that’s all I’m doing.” So I’m on social media every day, posting hours for the garden and then when the volunteers get here, leading the volunteers. “That’s the continuum… and then recruiting people and bringing them in. “We always need to weed, seed, plant and harvest,” Eubanks said. From seed to dinner plate is a process that Eubanks enjoys teaching to members of her community, welcoming all ages to learn how to grow their food.ĭuring the week, the garden is full of eager community volunteers, not afraid to get their hands dirty as they learn the ins and outs of harvesting. The carbon footprint is reduced and you know exactly where your food came from and what pesticides are on it or not.”Įubanks has been the lead gardener of “From the Ground Up” in Pensacola, Florida for over six years. “Because if I let you harvest your collards right here and right now, and then I go, grab some garlic for you and some herbs and you go home and cook it, that’s one pair of hands. “I invite people to really think about whatever their meal is and really think about how many hands have touched it,” Elizabeth Eubanks, lead gardener of “From the Ground Up” community garden said. Former school teacher Elizabeth Eubanks brings her classroom skills to a community garden where she educates students and volunteers in how to harvest their own food, a form of resistance against extreme weather patterns and food insecurity. ![]()
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