   
Home gardening increases fresh food access in food-insecure neighborhoods and helps shape healthy eating habits. Vegetable gardens also reduce carbon emissions associated with the transportation of fruits and vegetables, which are often trucked or flown thousands of miles to local food stores.
Goals
To help New Orleans become a healthier, more sustainable city, Green Light has built 600 backyard gardens over the past few years, with the goal of establishing thousands of gardens. Green Light is committed to long-term impact and will support new gardeners with follow-up calls, site visits, and workshops.
Why thousands of gardens?
The map above displays the 27,000 residents participating in Green Light’s energy-efficient light bulb program. Collectively, they save $27 million on utility bills and lower the region’s carbon footprint by 265 million pounds of CO2. Like energy-efficient light bulbs, backyard vegetable gardens reduce a household’s carbon footprint, lessens the burden of reoccurring living costs and improves the family's health. Imagine the impact that thousands of backyard gardeners will have.
What we provide?
The program offers residents a 3 1/2’ x 3 1/2’ garden bed that is manageable but also delivers a substantial yield, daily exercise, and motivation to lead a healthier lifestyle.The program operates like the rain barrel program as a cost share system with a minimum contribution of $10, ensuring that the services are accessible to all New Orleanians, and additionally demonstrates a participant's willingness to maintain a garden beyond its initial installation. All program applicants are required to attend a two-hour garden class in Green Light’s teaching garden before volunteers will build a garden. In the class, participants learn about seed planting, crop cultivation, composting, regional plant seasonality, and garden bed design.
How does this change the community?
The program empowers residents to grow their own food. Backyard to table is the closest food system possible and is part of a resilience strategy for a vulnerable community. Having a low food bill, a low water and energy bill helps you recover from a disaster and allows you to be better prepared for a disaster. Direct access to healthy food reduces health care cost and strengthens your immune system.
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