Growing Nutrition, Growing Community: The Impact of Harvest at Home
/Agriculture Resource Planner Adela Contreras teaches at a vertical garden workshop.
Food insecurity is a widespread issue in Snohomish County. According to the Snohomish County Health Department, one in eleven Snohomish County residents does not have reliable access to sufficient food.
To help address this issue, Snohomish Conservation District (SCD) launched the Harvest at Home program in 2024 in partnership with the Verdant Health Commission.
With funding from Verdant and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), Harvest at Home supports low-income residents through urban gardening education and resources—empowering families to grow nutritious food at home and in community spaces.
Verdant works with a number of families living below the poverty line, including many families who face food insecurity. Some families demonstrated interest in growing their own food at home and in community spaces but lacked the space or resources to do so.
SCD met this need by providing training and supplies to start their own vertical gardens. Supply kits included a tiered vertical planter, seeds, plant starts, soil, and care guides—requiring only sunlight, water, and time from participants.
The District also hosted sustainable gardening workshops in partnership with two other community organizations and with support from the non-profit Down to Earth Community Gardens.
The first workshop, held with Homage, a nonprofit serving seniors, introduced participants to the environmental, social, and mental health benefits of gardening. District staff demonstrated the set-up of a vertical garden planter stand, and then participants helped plant a demonstration garden with peas, strawberries, onions, scallions, and lettuce. Twelve workshop attendees received vertical gardening kits with planter stands, healthy plant starts, spinach and cilantro seeds for fall planting, and care instructions.
Attendees at the Village COntainer Gardening WOrkshop assemble their mini-gardens.
A second workshop took place at the Sounds of Africa Festival in Everett, in partnership with Washington West African Center (WAWAC), where all seven attendees also received vertical gardening kits. In addition, WAWAC held a ceremony in September to distribute additional vertical gardening kits to community members.
District staff followed up with all workshop participants to offer technical support and gather feedback, using lessons learned to create a Beginner’s Guide to Container and Vertical Gardening for broader community use to help more residents grow their own food in small spaces.
On a larger scale, the Harvest at Home program replaced lawns with edible food gardens for the Sea Mar Lynnwood Clinic, Edmonds Boys and Girls Club, and Clearwater School. These gardens will supply fresh, local food to the community.
At the Lynnwood Sea Mar work party, volunteers made an herb spiral in a former tree well.
At the Sea Mar Community Health Center in Lynnwood, SCD built an herb spiral and three raised beds planted with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and carrots. The Edmonds Boys and Girls Club, already gardening in space owned by the Edmonds United Methodist Church, sought additional growing areas for youth participants. The District’s team constructed three more raised beds with built-in trellises for vertical gardening. The Club plans to donate part of its harvest to the church’s food bank.
At Clearwater School, the SCD team installed three raised bed gardens featuring a mix of edible, medicinal, and native plants that the school and surrounding community can harvest and enjoy.
The SCD Youth Education Team created and implemented a Harvest at Home curriculum to teach students about urban agriculture, conservation, and nutritious eating. The lessons are available to all families and teachers, and introduce concepts such as local food systems, plant needs, and the connection between gardens and habitat. Each lesson includes hands-on activities or games, visual aids, and opportunities to engage with school or community gardens.
District educators brought these lessons to Edmonds Elementary School, reaching all 50 third grade students at the school. Students planted lettuce starts, designed dream gardens, and applied their new knowledge to create a plan for the next growing season at their own school garden.
By educating both students and families, the Youth Education Team aims to make home gardening and healthy eating accessible and engaging for all.
Funding from NACD made this initiative possible, helping SCD promote food access, and healthier communities across Snohomish County. The District hopes to continue this work and these partnerships to further strengthen food security in Snohomish County.
