As part of a new initiative, the Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League) are adding the Victory Garden to Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The edible garden will occupy a 1,600 square foot area along Jackie Robinson Drive that was once used for decorative plants. As announced by the Bulls last month, the Victory Garden is a shared project with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and Bland Landscaping, while Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is serving as the garden’s sponsor.
Victory Garden has been added to play a larger role in the community, as it will serve as an example of an urban garden that is used to grow healthy food options. More from WRAL:
The garden’s purpose is to show how easy it is to grow healthy, accessible food in urban settings, which health experts say is especially important for children who grow up without many of the fruits and vegetables their bodies and brains need.
“When kids are going to school and they’re hungry, a lot of times they are not able to focus,” said Cheryl Parquest, the director of community relations for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.
Parquet and Cindy Sink, from the Interfaith Food Shuttle, say the Bulls’ garden, and others like it in the seven-county area, can help feed 60,000 adults and children per month. Organizers want children to discover that healthy produce doesn’t just appear on grocery shelves
“A lot of times you see things in the stores, the things are packaged, but they’re going to be able to see it grow from the ground up,” Parquet said.
With this addition, the Bulls are the latest team around Minor League Baseball to undertake a project that leads to edible garden space at their ballpark. Prior to the 2017, the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) installed the Miracle-Gro rooftop garden at AutoZone Park.