Our community is large and wildly diverse, which is at the same time our strength and our weakness. #Activate10 is a movement seeking to increase communication between individuals and organizations across Fremont County and to promote positive action in our communities.
Grow Our Own is a blooming newly formed nonprofit business here in Fremont County created after COVID-19 hit close to home, shared Co-founders Darrah Perez-Good Voice Elk and Deneica Barrett. “It started with an idea and has become more than imagined,” they said.
The concept is to teach gardening tips and skills utilizing the conference calling app Zoom. It began three weeks ago and has become popular amongst Fremont County Gardeners, both beginner and master. They also provide the necessary supplies to get a garden started, essentials such as seeds, soil, containers, gardening gloves, and small gardening tools.
The group teaches gardening tips and skills every Sunday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. So far, they have covered topics such as planting strawberries, growing potatoes in a container, plant diseases, companion planting, watering and overwatering, and the production of healthy tomatoes.
They are also hoping to use the funding to provide water hoses, create handmade raised garden beds, and during harvest season, they are wanting to teach canning and dried meat making for winter storage.
“It is a blessing to be able to help the Wind River Communities here in our area,” Deneica said, “we are grateful and appreciative to our private donors and to the Riverton Peace Mission for making this all possible.”
Another great idea Grow Our Own has is to utilize their gardening skills to create harvest baskets for the community during this year’s upcoming harvest season.
An out of state donor ordered and delivered items such as seeds and gardening tools to grow three sister gardens consisting of corn, beans, and squash, salsa gardens, and vegetable stew gardens which the group delivered to 30 families this past Sunday.
With Riverton Peace Mission helping with funding to get more gardens started on and near the Wind River Reservation, Darrah says they can now help more families interested in learning more about gardening.
Grow Our Own created a Facebook page where they take applications for new participants. The application process is a short Google form that asks about gardening experience and supplies needed.
“When we deliver,” Barrett said, “We use our face masks to help in keeping our communities safe.”
The next day Grow Our Own will be delivering gardening supplies to families in the community will be on May 17th.
If you are interested in donating financially to Grow Our Own, you can do so by clicking here, or if you would like to donate supplies email [email protected].