Jemison speaks with WVII about Orono Community Gardens
John Jemison, a soil and water quality specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with WVII (Channel 7) for a report about the Orono Community Gardens. This was the 11th season that Jemison has taught a group of community members how to garden organically, according to the report. “It started when it started because we wanted to get people involved in sustainable food production. And over time for Cooperative Extension, food systems and improving interest in local foods, growing our own local foods has become a very important part of what we do,” Jemison said. The garden produces thousands of pounds of vegetables, so each week during the summer, they bring produce to senior citizens, the report states. “It gets people thinking what can we do with these foods, and it makes it more common to do it, which I think will be beneficial in the end,” Jemison said.