Before voting in the general election on November 8th, area residents can vote to help a gardening and cooking program in the St. Joseph School District.

Mosaic Life Care, along with the St. Joseph School District, was chosen as one of the finalists as part of the Neighborhood Assist Program through State Farm. Over 2,000 people applied for the opportunity for their cause to win $25,000. Mosaic Team Leader of Community Health Marcy George said their cause made it to the top 200. George said their cause is the school and community gardens and the cooking classes that go with them.

“Drew Bouge is our Youth Health Coordinator and he is our liaison with the school district,” George said. “We have school and community gardens currently at eight schools and Drew also teaches healthy cooking classes, called Kids in the Kitchen. We would really like to expand to two more community gardens and expand cooking classes to possibly as many as four or five schools. We were looking for some funding (and) it was just a great opportunity that this should come about because this was the kind of project they were interested in, it was community development and so I applied and now we’re in the voting phase.”

George said if they win, the funds will go toward garden equipment and more.

“The gardens require fencing, they require a tiller, there are hoses, that sort of thing, and the main cost for the cooking classes actually is the food,” George said. “We’re trying to teach kids how to eat healthier so we actually prepare the food in these cooking classes.”

George said she thinks their application for the program was chosen because it benefits the entire community.

“The produce that is grown in the gardens is accessible to anyone who lives around one of those gardens,” George said. “Residents nearby can come and take part in the harvest and take produce from it, it’s also sent home with the kids at the schools for their families. In some places where we have gardens, there is not ready access to fresh produce, there isn’t a grocery store nearby, so this actually makes produce available in areas where there might not be any. Given the problem of childhood obesity and that this is focused on eating healthier and also growing fresh produce, I think that maybe that appealed to the review board.”

The gardens are located at the Lake Contrary, Pickett, Lindbergh, Humboldt, Mark Twain, Edison, Parkway and the Amazonia Elementary Schools.

State Farm will fund the 40 causes with the most votes by the deadline.

Anyone can vote up to 10 times a day for the cause until November 4.

To vote, click here.