A bunch of community gardeners teamed up with a simple yet awesome goal: make fresh veggies easy to get in Mobile.
They call themselves the Mobile Urban Growers, or MUG for short.
These green thumbs work together, growing and keeping up gardens all around the city.
Plus, they’re super into teaching others how to garden like pros!
At first, they just occasionally got together, swapping tips and seeds.
But then things got serious – they established a whole sharing network!
They even hooked up with the Extension Service, a cool resource for gardening know-how.
Mobile has a rough deal with diabetes rates higher than ever, and over a quarter of the population is stuck in food deserts without access to fresh fruits and veggies.
But MUG isn’t about to let that slide!
They’re fighting back by helping local gardeners with skills, tools, and support.
And they’re dishing out fresh produce for free at something like a farmer’s market at Taylor Park.
Now, these guys aren’t your average gardeners.
They go above and beyond by running wellness programs.
After all, it’s all about imparting life skills and the art of therapeutic horticulture.
Carol, one of MUG’s rockstar members, calls their work “biophilia.”
Their goal is to reintroduce our natural love for the great outdoors.
FUN FACT: The word was nabbed by a biologist and naturalist, E.O. Wilson!
MUG’s motto is simple: show, do, and teach.
And among the 20 community gardens in MUG’s care, there’s one at Strickland Youth Center.
Carol goes there twice weekly to hang with the kids, guiding them as they get their hands dirty in the garden.
If you have a green thumb yourself or want to support these fantastic growers, check them out here.
You can join the crew or at least send some donations their way!
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