State Ag & Youth grant will help North Hills Community Outreach expand garden programs

A North Hills charity that provides food and social services is receiving a state grant to help expand operations at its community garden.

The $2,750 Ag and Youth Grant grant will be used to expand the Rosalinda Sauro Sirriani Garden in Bellevue, state Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-North Side, announced May 12.

“North Hills Community Outreach does so much to help our community and support residents who are experiencing food insecurity,” said Kinkead, whose district includes Avalon, and Bellevue and parts of Ross.

“In less than 10 years, the Rosalinda Sauro Sirianni Garden has produced enough produce to serve over a thousand families in need each year, and this grant will allow the NHCO to expand, allowing it to serve more residents in need,”

The garden bears the name of the woman who first began growing fruits and vegetables on the property to feed her family after immigrating with her husband from southern Italy in 1930. The land was donated to NHCO after Sirianni died.

State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced in January during the virtual Pennsylvania Farm Show that $500,000 was being earmarked for the Ag Youth program, which provides direct and matching grants for eligible projects, programs and equipment purchases.

The money is designed to provide education and workforce development seminars, field trips and agricultural safety training programs.

NHCO launched the garden in 2011 and produced about 3,000 pounds of food that year.

It was expanded a year later and fruit trees were added.

Other additions over the past several years include a strawberry patch, a honeybee apiary and a “rainbow” garden for children to plant crops.

The garden is tended by volunteers, including Eagle Scouts who built raised beds, a rainwater catchment and an irrigation system.

The garden also has large compost bins, an information kiosk, a rain garden, geocache, a Little Free Library and a bioswale.

Last year, the garden yielded more than 40,000 pounds of organic produce to help feed about 1,000 families through NHCO’s food pantries.

“These funds are greatly appreciated and will enable students to learn at our garden and increase their passion for giving back through volunteerism,” said Tom Baker, NHCO executive director.

“The garden is a wonderful place for students to serve. We are fortunate to have a garden coordinator that empowers students in an extremely meaningful way and empowers them to help others,” Baker said.