Continuing Knox County's Week of Food celebration, a dedication was held this morning at the New Harvest Park Community Garden, which was established through a partnership of Knox County Parks and Recreation, the Knoxville Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity and East Tennessee Children's Hospital with support from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

The goal of the community garden is to educate kids on where food comes from, how it grows and the nutritional benefits of fresh food while also providing physical activity in the garden.

"This program is a neat way to engage kids at New Harvest Park because they get exercise while learning how to garden," said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. "It’s important for kids to understand where their food comes from and the hard work that goes into farming."

Groups of children attend a ten week Junior Master Gardener program at the garden that offers horticulture and environmental science education through fun and creative activities. The program promotes healthy living by combining sustainable gardening practices with physical fitness using only manual gardening techniques. 

The garden was made possible through a generous grant from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which provided a shed, fencing, picnic tables, equipment, supplies and an instructor at New Harvest Park. 

East Tennessee Children's Hospital serves as the lead organization for the Knoxville Area Coalition on Childhood Obesity.  For information, contact Eleanor Stevens at efstevens@etch.com