Growing Nutrition, Growing Community: The Impact of Harvest at Home

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Growing Nutrition, Growing Community: The Impact of Harvest at Home

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.

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New ECEAP Garden Beds will Teach Children, Feed Families

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The garden bed sides are short enough for small children to get a hands-on learning experience.

The garden bed sides are short enough for small children to get a hands-on learning experience.

More families will be fed thanks to 6 newly-installed raised garden beds at the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs (ECEAP) location in Everett, owned by Volunteers of America.

The ECEAP provides free services like child health coordination and nutrition, family support and parent involvement, and early learning preschool. These raised garden beds will be used to teach children the value of gardening and where their food comes from, and the fresh produce grown on-site will go on to provide healthy, fresh meals for low-income families.

The recycled lumber stripped of nails and coating.

The recycled lumber stripped of nails and coating.

Better yet, these garden beds are made from recycled lumber from Down to Earth Community Gardens. In 2019, the Snohomish Conservation District helped Down to Earth Community Gardens reach almost 300 raised garden beds that have since gone to individual homeowners, apartment complexes, non-profits and food banks. 

This lumber, sourced from leftover piles at construction sites and shipping crates, is a great example of how we can reuse our materials to create something new and healthy for the environment and our communities.