Produce garden connects generations

In February, the village of Schaumburg received a grant from the Model Communities Program, an initiative of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) project sponsored by the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago.

CPPW is a part of a nationwide effort aimed at curbing the obesity epidemic by focusing on community-level change. The intergenerational garden is located adjacent to The Barn, home of the senior and teen centers, and the Schaumburg Park District Bock facility, home of programs for preschoolers, kindergartners and first-grade children. Participants from all these programs are involved in planting, garden maintenance, harvesting and food preparation with the produce from the garden. Extra produce is donated to the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry.

The 40-foot by 72-foot intergenerational produce garden was designed with all the different age groups and abilities of the participants in mind, so elements such as walkways and raised beds are included.

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