COMMONWEALTH Gardens

Gardening for the Health of the Community
COMMONWEALTH Gardens (CG) is the community garden hosted by the Howard Foundation, and is a special, unique aspect of this building project’s “green” commitment. CG’s mission is to be a model of sustainable gardening that will provide organic food and a place for rejuvenation, while promoting educational outreach and community health awareness within a hospital setting. The eight-acre food production garden is located in an area designated as open space on the 33 acres of land donated to the new hospital. The hospital community garden project is a collaboration dedicated to community, agriculture, and education with the purpose of restoring the connection between our health and the food we eat. The goals for CG are:

1. To provide a venue in which the relationship between the growth and consumption
   of food and overall wellness can be properly viewed (demonstration garden).
2. To provide locally grown produce for consumption by patients and staff of the
   Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital.
3. To consistently supply those established feeding programs in the community of Willits
   (the Food Bank, the Senior Center and Our Daily Bread) with produce for use in
   their kitchens.
4. To engage the community, with specific attention to the school system, through
   workshops and living classroom experiences.

Watch some video of the tree planting at The Nickel and Dime Website