The 5B Resilience Gardens initiative seeks to broaden community access to local gardening resources, enhance visibility of existing and new gardens throughout the community, and cultivate a vibrant gardening community through resource sharing, collaborative events and education opportunities. We are defining resilience gardening as any level of edible (culinary and medicinal) plant production that is not sold on a commercial scale. This may include potted plants, edible landscape, gardens in yards or larger shared plots.
Cultivating personal and community resilience through gardening provides a tangible way for individuals to connect with nature, the food they eat, and the broader community. Raising awareness of food production as a means to self and community sufficiency is key to being resilient in the face of the current pandemic, and future impacts related to climate change, economic turmoil, and public health crises.
Started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 5B Resilience Gardens is a collaboration facilitated by Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. Collaborating organizations include Hailey Climate Action Coalition, Local Food Alliance, Sawtooth Botanical Garden, University of Idaho Extension & 4-H, Upper Big Wood River Grange, Wood River Community YMCA, Wood River Land Trust, Wood River Seed Library, and gardeners throughout our valley.
Do you have a garden or grow food? Do you want to display your support with a garden flag? Interested gardeners can join the 5B Resilience Gardens initiative by completing a membership survey. Once the survey is completed, a 5B Resilience Gardens representative will provide additional information to each prospective member based upon survey responses.
Join 5B Resilience Gardens at the YMCA’s Bonni’s Garden on Monday, October 19th for a seed saving workshop. Attendees are welcome to bring their own seeds or help process donated seeds. We will discuss basic seed processing and storage techniques. Limited number of participants, please register with epaden@woodriverymca.org.
Join the Wood River Seed Library seed cleaning parties on Saturday October 24 and Saturday November 14 to process this seasons’ seed harvest. All seeds are grown by gardeners and donated to the seed library. The Wood River Seed Library provides seeds for the community at no cost. The seed library is currently located at the Hailey Public Library. Seed party attendees are welcome to bring their own seeds and to take a portion of seeds that they help clean. Our fall seed cleaning parties will happen at the Upper Big Wood River Grange on 10/24 and 10/14 from 10am to noon.
Piloted in fall of 2020, seasonal family cooking kits provide activities for families to do together, while learning about growing food, cooking from-scratch, using seasonal ingredients, saving seeds, and other food and eco-literacy lessons. 100 kits were available, at no cost, to families with PreK-4th grade children in Blaine County. Ingredients were sourced from regional farmers including Lookout Farm, Sunset Butte Organics and Ernie's Organics. The Wood River Seed Library provided pots and seeds. Natural Grocers and Webb Nursey provided donations of soil, bags and other packaging materials.
You can download the fall activity packet here.
We will be launching a mentorship program spring of 2021. If you are interested in joining this program, please fill out the membership survey
We will host garden tours starting in spring of 2021. Until then, please enjoy our slideshow featuring various examples of resilience garden guiding principles.
Gardening in high-desert, high-altitude climates like we have here in Blaine County can be tricky for new gardeners. We've compiled local resources to help you be successfully in growing your 5B Resilience Garden this year and for years to come!
We recommend shopping locally whenever possible. We will continue to update this with more listings.
Gardens are unique to each individual and each space. While honoring the diversity and individuality of each garden, it was important for us to identify guiding principles that all resilience gardens share. 5B Resilience Gardens embrace at least one principle per section.
