Articles
Project GROW: teaching veterans to grow plants for health and well-being
Article number
1459_10
Pages
89 – 104
Language
English
Abstract
A medical team at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, obtained a Whole Health grant to administer programming to veterans in the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive housing (HUD/VASH) program.
These program clients are currently experiencing homelessness or have experienced homelessness in the past.
Their housing tends to be in food-insecure areas (food deserts) and transportation is limited.
This grant project was designed to equip veterans to improve health and well-being with a three-prong approach, including growing fresh food (GROW), preparing food healthfully (EAT), and exercising (MOVE). The project was named G.E.M. for short.
In September 2021, the VA medical team approached University of Georgia Extension Master Gardener (MGEV) Program for help with the GROW portion.
The Extension Master Gardener program was uniquely suited to respond, given its hierarchical resource structure.
Extension agents and Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEVs) were recruited from several counties in the Atlanta Metro region to assist the State Program Coordinator/Extension Specialist with curriculum development and virtual program delivery at the county level.
The GROW curriculum consisted of four, five-week seasonal modules; a five-week basics module; and one, three-week holiday module.
Modules included PowerPoints, weekly hands-on demonstrations, polling questions for pre/post assessment of each module and each week, materials lists, and supporting Extension publications.
Materials lists for each module were given to the VA team for purchasing, sorting, and delivery to clients.
Weekly gardening classes were delivered via Zoom by MGEVs.
Extension staff managed the online meeting space and implemented polls during sessions.
Five modules were delivered to 12 veteran participants between October 2021 and August 2022. Results for veterans included increase in self-reported plant knowledge, successful growing of edible crops, increased confidence to use community gardens, and multiple social benefits, even within the virtual meeting space.
A facilitator’s guide has been developed, including scripted lessons, and professional development training to continue offering GROW was extended to VA staff, including occupational and physical therapists and nurses, between July 2022 and March 2023. Project GROW is now a regularly offered program of VA Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
These program clients are currently experiencing homelessness or have experienced homelessness in the past.
Their housing tends to be in food-insecure areas (food deserts) and transportation is limited.
This grant project was designed to equip veterans to improve health and well-being with a three-prong approach, including growing fresh food (GROW), preparing food healthfully (EAT), and exercising (MOVE). The project was named G.E.M. for short.
In September 2021, the VA medical team approached University of Georgia Extension Master Gardener (MGEV) Program for help with the GROW portion.
The Extension Master Gardener program was uniquely suited to respond, given its hierarchical resource structure.
Extension agents and Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEVs) were recruited from several counties in the Atlanta Metro region to assist the State Program Coordinator/Extension Specialist with curriculum development and virtual program delivery at the county level.
The GROW curriculum consisted of four, five-week seasonal modules; a five-week basics module; and one, three-week holiday module.
Modules included PowerPoints, weekly hands-on demonstrations, polling questions for pre/post assessment of each module and each week, materials lists, and supporting Extension publications.
Materials lists for each module were given to the VA team for purchasing, sorting, and delivery to clients.
Weekly gardening classes were delivered via Zoom by MGEVs.
Extension staff managed the online meeting space and implemented polls during sessions.
Five modules were delivered to 12 veteran participants between October 2021 and August 2022. Results for veterans included increase in self-reported plant knowledge, successful growing of edible crops, increased confidence to use community gardens, and multiple social benefits, even within the virtual meeting space.
A facilitator’s guide has been developed, including scripted lessons, and professional development training to continue offering GROW was extended to VA staff, including occupational and physical therapists and nurses, between July 2022 and March 2023. Project GROW is now a regularly offered program of VA Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Publication
Authors
S.T. Dorn, L. Klein, C. McCrary, S. Bohm, S. Brown-Johnson, A. Fann, K. Brown, M. Mattee, C. Stringer
Keywords
therapeutic horticulture, military veterans, Extension Master Gardeners, virtual, Whole Health
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