Hunger and lack of reliable access to fresh food are big challenges for families in Barry County in southwestern Missouri.
The community ranked these issues at the top of a needs assessment by the University of Missouri Extension Council in Barry County. Those results spurred the council to develop the Barry County Community Garden Project in Cassville, a community-wide plan to improve food access and support the local food pantry.
This year, the Barry County Extension Council has helped 12 families establish 34 garden plots. The council has coordinated with organizations and businesses, including MU Extension and Master Gardeners, to deliver nutrition and gardening classes and environmentally sustainable practices to the whole community.
For its work, Barry County was named the winner of the inaugural MU Extension County Council of the Year award.
“The MU Extension Council in Barry County’s work embodied the central role councils have in identifying local opportunities and challenges around agriculture, economic opportunity, education and health; engaging local communities and representative voices; connecting MU Extension with local partners; and supporting initiatives that create measurable, lasting impact,” said Chad Higgins, MU interim vice chancellor for extension and engagement.
After the county-wide needs assessment and the decision to develop a community garden project in the county seat of Cassville, the Barry County council looked to the Shell Knob Victory Garden as a model.
“We also had to identify the barriers and how, as a community, we could overcome those,” said Council Member Lainey Harvick. “Our council did a really good job of keeping things moving forward and making sure there wasn’t anything in the way. If there were any barriers, people worked together to move them back. We really wanted to build partnerships and relationships and have the community completely involved in this project.”
With support from council members and local partners — including Barry Electric, Barry County Ready Mix LLC, the City of Cassville, AireServ, Flat Creek Excavation, 7 Valleys Vineyard LLC and Harvick Farms — the council secured land, a water source and help to supply mulch, soil, fertilizer and garden tools. Additional sponsors, including the local community college, helped offset costs for participants who signed up for the 34 garden plots — double what the council had initially aimed for. More volunteers, sponsors and supporters were recruited through other community partnerships, including FFA, Missouri 4-H and moms’ groups.
The council approved the project in March, just in time for the spring planting season.
“With volunteers, including council members, we were able to get the gardens going quickly,” Harvick said. “Participants had a whole season to get involved in education classes and for us to build relationships and have community outreach in process.”
The council engaged Lincoln University, local entrepreneurs, the Missouri Prairie Foundation and other partners to offer 13 classes on a variety of topics, including safe canning, beekeeping, sourdough bread baking and invasive plant species control.
Lorin Fahrmeier, MU Extension partnership and council development director, who helped coordinate the County Council of the Year contest, said, “It’s amazing to see what can happen when community members pull together for a common cause.”
Barry County Council 2022-2023 members include: Becky Wogoman, chair; Hannah Bolton, vice-chair; Carolyn Kilts, treasurer; Kathryn England-Aytes, secretary; members – David Bolton, Mary Gray, Lois Fairchild, Lainey Harvick, Marcia Moreland, David Samuel, Bobby Branham, Robert Gray, Twila Harrison, Amanda Hudson, Cindy Puryear; youth council member, Hayden Royer.
