The Muskingum Soil & Water Conservation District (MSWCD) is addressing food insecurity by teaching people how to grow food, while at the same time supplying fresh locally grown produce to our county’s food banks/pantries and to those who participate at the gardens. The theme of Urban Greens is “Growing with Purpose”, and we believe that providing ways to grow healthy food is part of our purpose. Our urban agriculture program, Urban Greens, began in 2017 and it grew incredibly in 2022 and 2023. We manage six community gardens, each with a slightly different focus and purpose. In 2023, we were able to donate over 18,000 pounds of fresh produce to food pantries, veterans, seniors, and others facing food insecurity (up from 7000 pounds in 2022). The goal for 2024 is to build a firmer foundation of support for the gardens that we currently manage. We believe that healthy soil produces healthy food, which in turn creates healthier people and healthier communities. It all begins with the soil, and we have two Agriculture Resource Specialists who work with many farmers on improving their soil health. They provide the technical support to the Urban Ag/Education Specialist, who is responsible for overseeing the garden sites and all that goes on at each one as well as educational programming.