Episode 005: Victory Gardening and COVID-19

Shana recently sat down with Lucine Sihelnik, Reading City Councilwoman and organizer of Reading’s Victory Garden Task Force. Lucine shared her dedication to efforts like increasing access to healthy food and improving community health on the podcast. In addition to Lucine’s work with the City of Reading, PA she founded Gayatri Wellness to promote sustainable living practices of social, economic, and environmental wellbeing for all community members here in Berks County. She also orchestrated the revitalization of the Penn Street Market, which services the residents of the City of Reading and the only market of it’s kind currently in downtown Reading.

Together, Lucine and Shana discussed the story behind the creation of the Victory Garden Task Force and how it is helping people directly in need during COVID-19. They also discussed how this program breathes new life into urban gardening in their community, by building important relationships with local organizations and developing programs about gardening for the city’s residents! Shana and Lucine examined how a new initiative like the task force could help to create resiliency in the city and shape Reading’s Climate Action Plan. 

Reading’s victory garden task force has become so successful that it has attracted the attention of others outside of the city as well as the development of a supportive online community of newfound urban and suburban farmers.

If you would like to learn more about victory gardening and it’s many benefits check out the Weekly Ingest Newsletter published on June 29th.