Major Transplanting Effort at 8th & Gilmer

04/26/25: We picked up the seedlings that we had planted from seed with Shawn back in February and transplanted them in the 8th & Gilmer Garden. We transplanted around 300 tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, fairy eggplant, several varieties of peppers, cucumbers, several varieties of melons, and several varieties of squash, including zucchini, spaghetti, and butternut. The area planted was about 1,200 sq.ft., ¼ of the entire garden area.

Adopt-A-Street Quarterly Cleanup – Earth Day

04/19/25: A group of 6 volunteers picked up 14 bags of trash in a 5-block area that includes both of our community gardens in NW Roanoke. This event repeats quarterly, as part of Clean Valley Council’s Adopt-A-Street program.

Tour for Special Needs Students at One Valley Gardens

04/16/25: Today we hosted a group of special needs students and support staff and parents from Rivermont school in Roanoke County, organized by DARS, and in cooperation with Virginia Cooperative Extension. They got a tour of both of our community gardens, as well as some hands on planting of early tomato transplants. Conversations were started regarding follow-up opportunities for this class, as well as for other students.

Restarting Community Conversations

04/14/25: Today we hosted our first Community Conversation of 2025. Michele King, with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), was the main presenter of the topic, “Heathy Hearts Initiative”. After explaining how this program is really driven by community members, not VDH, she introduced several local members who have been active in the program Amazetta Anderson then demonstrated how to guide others to conduct an individual blood pressure check with pressure cuffs that are available to all participants.