By: Luke Bowes and Megan Crissy

Maple 6 is serving in Cedar Rapids with Cultivate Hope, a program within the nonprofit organization Matthew 25. The team sees the effects of poverty and obesity in the Taylor and Time Check neighborhoods and hopes that their service is providing a means for the community to adopt a healthy food culture.

As of now, Maple 6 has maintained and expanded eight different garden plots, including the installation of drip irrigation and the harvesting of the various crops for the farmer’s market at NewBo City Market. Maple 6 has planted tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, asparagus, arugula, broccoli, cabbage, corn, lettuce, onions, cucumber, squash, radishes, and various herbs.

“I really enjoyed the process our team went through to plant the cucumber and squash because it was a total team effort from start to finish. It was great to see how we could transform an unkempt plot engrossed with weeds into an orderly garden bed that will continually produce healthy food for the community,” explains team member Brian Tacher.

Cultivate Hope is one of three program areas of Matthew 25, an organization focused on neighborhood renewal in the Taylor and Time Check neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cultivate Hope maintains an urban farm, facilitates school garden programs, and advocates for food education.