LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Members of a central Arkansas fraternity are working to bring more vegetable gardens to urban centers in Arkansas.

They were joined by members of the students that officially patrol or STOP program and other community gardeners to plant hundreds of seeds at the Crump Garden Greenhouse in downtown Little Rock Saturday morning.

Alpha Phi Alpha’s central Arkansas Sphinx Foundation received a $1.3 million US Department of Agriculture grant, which will fund the community garden program for the next two years.

Organizers said their goal is to spread a love of gardening, which could help in areas where food insecurity is a daily concern.

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Project manager Kalven Trice said that the grant will address food insecurity issues in the community.

“Raise vegetables in your own backyard, on your patio and community garden, and so this grant is hopefully going to address a lot of those issues that we face in our community and we are just excited about the opportunity,” Trice said.

A horticulturalist from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was on hand to teach the basics and answer questions.

For more information on the CASF program, visit them online at CentralArkansasSphinx.org.

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