Utilizing Horticultural Education to Empower a Community and Enhance Individual and Environmental Health

Park Falls, located in the Flambeau river valley, is home to almost 2500 Wisconsin residents, including more than 1000 elementary, middle, and high school students. Recent research and local dialogue highlight the need for a focus on healthy eating and renewable resources throughout the community. In response, Flambeau River Community Growing Center has been developed to utilize waste streams from the Flambeau River Paper Mill while establishing a strong relationship between University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Park Falls community. Collaborators inlcude plant scientists from UW-Madison, engineers from Flambeau River Paper Mill, outreach staff from UW-Extension, and educators from Chequamegon School Distric. Flambeau River Community Growing Center has also welcomed the broader Park Falls community throughout its development and operations. This has been a unique opportunity to introduce a University of Wisconsin presence in a northern Wisconsin community. Ultimately, we have utilized horticultural education to empower the community and enhance individual and environmental health.