Big Green is driving seeds of change on tour across the nation to fuel a movement that brings communities together over the power of growing food.
DENVER, Colo., March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Big Green, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to getting everyone in America growing food, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Big Green Bus Tour “Grow Together.” This cross-country campaign aims to bring communities together over the transformative power of growing food. The tour will amplify the work of change-makers and communities across the nation who are actively using food to champion healthier and more sustainable living.
The inaugural Big Green Bus Tour will embark on its first journey spanning several cities, including Burnet, TX, San Antonio, TX, Memphis, TN, Atlanta, GA, Savannah, GA, and Minneapolis, MN. The tour will kick off at the Texas Eclipse Festival in Burnet, TX, on April 5 and continue its mission to inspire healthy and sustainable communities throughout its route. Big Green is teaming up with over ten partners from across the U.S. who are at the forefront of the movement to revolutionize our food system. Together, they will co-host captivating food and gardening events that equip local communities with the education and resources needed to participate in growing food.
“We whole-heartedly believe that growing food changes lives,'” Madeleine Nelson, VP of Advancement for Big Green, said. “This tour is a way for us to honor the people and communities that are changing the status quo of our food system through gardening, while also acting as an amplifier of the stories that share the true impact of growing food firsthand.”
The Big Green Bus will serve as a mobile hub of inspiration, education and distribution of gardening resources. The vibrantly decorated bus will be stationed at local farmers’ markets, community and public school events. These events will offer opportunities for communities to connect with their local resources and organizations dedicated to making nutritious foods more accessible, particularly within neighborhoods that have faced generations of disinvestment.
Wande Okunoren-Meadows, the Executive Director of Hand, Heart, and Soul Project, has spent six years at the forefront of holistic nutrition, wellness, and advocacy in Clayton County, Georgia. Clayton County is among the 79 neighborhoods in Greater Atlanta that are recognized as high-need areas, where the well-being of over 77,000 children is significantly compromised. In recent years, the term “food apartheids,” has been used to describe where the absence of nutrient-rich foods and other essential resources is interconnected to issues like poverty, healthcare, and social inequalities. “Through our partnership with Big Green, we expand our impact by instilling a love for growing food and building strong and healthy communities from a young age,” said Wande.
The Big Green Bus teamed up with illustration and design studio, Ver Sands, a husband and wife duo who brought the vision to life using inspiration that captured the “growth, light and abundance that Big Green represents,” said Jacqui Oakley and Jamie Lawson. “We wanted the bus to be an explosion of energy and excitement, letting it be loud but friendly. We spent a lot of time on things like color that have an immediate effect, while balancing it with lots of layers and discoveries to keep a compelling and curious element to it – up close or far away – for all ages, sizes and people who get to interact with it.”
The Big Green Bus Tour “Grow Together” will celebrate the accomplishments of communities that have already made significant strides in promoting sustainable living and food justice. To date, Big Green has helped over half a million people by providing garden beds to 775 schools and 1,610 families, and over $5.44 million in grant dollars to grassroots nonprofits and schools. By sharing success stories and showcasing real-life examples, the tour aims to inspire others to join the movement and create positive change within their own communities. Follow the tour’s journey and learn more about upcoming events by visiting biggreen.org/bus.
About Big Green:
Big Green is a 501c3 nonprofit on a mission to get everyone in America growing food. Big Green believes that growing food changes lives. It improves nutrition security and mental health, gets us into nature, and opens our eyes to the impacts of climate change. For twelve years, Big Green has helped people grow their own food with school and home-based programs and awareness campaigns. The organization deploys its unique, modular, raised bed gardens to expand gardening access at home, school and community sites. It also provides grants and other capacity-building investments in gardening and urban farming projects and organizations and facilitates events to help people grow more food together. Learn more at biggreen.org.
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SOURCE Big Green
