US: Uncle Matts partners with hospital to establish organic garden

Sowing seeds of sustainability into the local community, Uncle Matt’s Organic is excited to be an inaugural partner for Central Florida’s first organic community garden. Pioneered by South Lake Hospital, the organic vegetable and herb garden, located on the hospital campus in Clermont, Florida, will provide community groups with an opportunity to garden organically and to become educated on the principles, practices and benefits of organic gardening.

"This is a great opportunity for Uncle Matt’s to educate our community on the health benefits of organically-grown food and to understand the eco-friendly impact of sustainable farming," says Susan McLean, Community Affairs Director at Uncle Matt’s Organic and Chairman of the Board at South Lake Hospital. "We are especially excited about educating the next generation of growers on the benefits of organic."

As a garden project partner, Uncle Matt’s is providing all the compost for the grow boxes, as well as gardening expertise and oversight, including organic certification. Participating growers represent a diverse cross-section of the community, including local doctors, recreational sports groups, hospital employees and a support group for disabled adults, to name a few. Participating community groups plant their crops in 10x12, 10x15, or 4x4 raised growing beds. They also choose which crops are planted and share in their group’s produce. Some community groups are electing to donate their produce to charity.

Uncle Matt’s Organic hopes that other hospitals will implement similar projects to both educate the communities they serve and possibly supply their own hospital cafeterias. Through the effort of community growers, it would be food that is not only organic and healthy, but literally grown in their own backyard.

For more information:

Annemarie McLean
Tel: +1 (352) 267-4846
[email protected]