This ‘Incredible Edible Park’ In Irvine, California Feeds 200,000 People Every Month! [Video]
At this very moment, hunger is effecting millions of Americans here in the United States. Utilizing past statistics from the Food and Safety Inspection Service (F.S.I.S.), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.), 14.9 percent of American households were food insecure back in 2011, with 5.7 percent suffering from very low food security. Most of the time, the reason why households are unable to feed themselves is because of insufficient funds.
Despite the debilitating news pertaining to U.S. hunger, there are many individuals, groups, and organizations doing their part to combat it. However, Second Harvest Food Bank is in the news as of late because of their contribution in South California: a park that feeds up to 200,000 people each month.
According to True Activist, Second Harvest Food Bank runs a donated 7.5 acre plot of land that grows organic food all year round. The land was given the moniker of “The Incredible Edible Park,” which is a community garden that, as stated earlier, feeds over 200,000 people every month. Due to its size, it is maintained by 15,000 volunteers every single year in which the food grown is distributed through a network of 340 member charities, consisting of shelters, churches, homes for battered and abused women and children, and local pantries at 480 locations.
Though The Incredible Edible Park feeds a large number of individuals every month, it is just a small part of the whole. A large portion of the food is donated from restaurants, grocery stores, food manufacturers, growers, and packers, Feeding America, the USDA, and corporate and individual food drives. Still, being able to feed 200,000 people a month is still an accomplishment worth celebrating.
Growing Your Greens also reported on The Incredible Edible Park on location through a video on their YouTube channel. John Kohler was on location back in 2012 in which he takes viewers to different parts of The Incredible Edible Park. Along the way, John provides gardening and organic eating facts many people may not know about. For example, the tour started in a field growing broccoli. After taking notice that the broccoli florets were harvested but very few of the leaves, John explains the leaves can be eaten and that they contain the same anti-cancer properties of broccoli sprouts. John even states the leaves are incredibly nutrient dense, similar to kale or collards.
If you want to watch the entire on-site exclusive video hosted by John Kohler, it is attached below for your viewing.
To learn more about The Incredible Edible Park and the company behind it, Second Harvest Food Bank, you can visit their official website. On a personal note, would you like to have a park dedicated to the growing of food for the hungry where you live?
[Image via Irvine News Blog]
