Congressman McGovern chats with New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill staff about the Vegetable Garden.
On August 25, 2020, Congressman Jim McGovern visited New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill to tour our Vegetable Garden. He was particularly interested to learn more about our produce donation program that recently received an award from the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, a joint initiative of the American Public Gardens Association and the U.S. Botanic Garden.
Our decades old Vegetable Garden is delivering more fresh produce to food banks than ever before due to a rise in need related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Horticulture manager Dawn Davies expects to exceed the garden’s record of 1,000 pounds donated in one growing season.
Congressman McGovern thanks volunteers for their efforts.
McGovern has taken a leadership role in the fight against hunger at home and abroad through his membership on the House Agriculture Committee, his role on the Subcommittee on Nutrition, and his co-chairmanship of the House Hunger Caucus. He praised New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill for being one of only 28 gardens in the country to receive funding this year from the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program.
New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill’s Vegetable Garden has donated more than 400 pounds of produce so far this year to the Friendly House Neighborhood Center and the Southern Worcester Neighborhood Center. On the day McGovern visited, staff and volunteers were harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, kale, basil, and more for the next delivery.