Planting Progress: "One Seed at a Time"

My name is Calista Heister, and I am a student-athlete at Virginia Tech. Alongside three of my classmates, Matt Johnson, Reagan Green and Tori Powell we have started a group called Planting Progress: "One Seed at a Time". After extensive research, surveys and interviews with local health and education experts, Planting Progress was born to address the high overall rating of youth health and food inequity. We will work with elementary-aged students to build the gardens, and we will teach them about the benefits of growing your own food and choosing healthy options as we have learned through our research that many of these students and families have limited access to proper healthcare and nutrition. Planting Progress is important to us because we have an interest in giving back to our community while also helping build a foundation for generations to come with the education and hands-on experience that is fundamental for young kids to learn. Our group is raising money to fund the equipment and supplies needed to start our first garden in Montgomery County including raised garden beds, seeds, soil, wheelbarrows and other various garden tools.