Upset by the number of residents in South Carolina battling hunger and malnutrition, Bo Cable began to plant a garden in a 2.5 acre plot behind the Wild Radish Health Store in Simpsonville that had been unused for quite some time. With the help of friends and many other volunteers, Cable started the Generous Garden Project (GGP), which blossomed into an effective, far-reaching organization, NaturalNews.com reports.
The statistics on the website are impressive. In 2011, the organization distributed 32,000 pounds of produce to businesses, which is enough to make more than 21,000 meals. The 564 people that volunteered with GGP last year put in a combined total of 2,682 hours. This helps to make a dent against hunger in a state that was ranked ninth for hungry people in the country.
In addition to planting in the garden behind the health store and using a compost heap there, the GGP utilizes two greenhouses that were donated to them to grow produce. Volunteers also take unused crops from local fields that are partners with the GGP, instead of allowing the crops to rot or be plowed into the soil. The process of taking unused crops, called gleaning, has been used for thousands of years as a way to feed the hungry and reduce waste.
Although Cable plans to expand the Generous Garden Project to include more land, he also wants to reach more people and enable them to feed themselves by teaching them how to grow and harvest their own food. "Whether you live in an apartment building, or you live downtown and you have a small yard, or you have ten acres, we want to teach you how you can take what you have around you and grow organic food,” Cable said in an interview with Bus52.com.
