By Natalie Freehan
As featured in the IU DIP-IN story, Elephant Gardens is a DIP-IN partner that received funding this summer from the DIP-IN Northeast Steering Committee to enhance their Farm Fit program. Historically, Elephant Gardens is a business in the Northeast community focused on agriculture and organic produce grown in the heart of the community.
The Elephant Gardens vision is “...to transform our community by promoting a culture of health, beauty, and clean living.” At each of their three farms, their staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that healthy food options are grown within the neighborhood and are accessible to neighbors. This three-generation family farm continues to have a heavy influence on the local community regarding healthy food access, and recently moved toward further providing for and working with the community with their newest project, Farm Fit.
Elephant Gardens was the 2024 recipient of Heath Outdoors’ Juneteenth Day of Service, providing free design and construction services to a local community organization. The company worked with Elephant Gardens to create the physical changes to their Denny Street property to support the Farm Fit program.
This included beautification efforts, creation of a walking path that circles the property and continues into the nearby forested area, updating garden beds used by children in the community participating in a 4-H program, and more. This effort was supplemented by DIP-IN, with funds covering the supplies and materials needed for the project.
The Juneteenth Day of Service event took place on June 19, 2024, with over 100 Heath Outdoor employees, Elephant Gardens staff, and DIP-IN and other community volunteers who came together to complete the work. Vivian Muhammed, the owner of Elephant Gardens, stated that she was blown away by the amount of work done and support received. As someone who is constantly striving for greatness, to have people come alongside Elephant Gardens and assist them in this work, it was both a relief and a blessing for her.
Long term, the Farm Fit project encompasses more than just the updates to the Denny Street farm. Elephant Gardens plans to use their new walking trail, gazebo/open grassy space, and updated 4-H beds to bring fitness into farming.
When Vivian described the idea, she stated that she wants to “teach people how to plant and harvest without throwing their back out!” Elephant Gardens will use typical items one finds in a garden—such as buckets, wheelbarrows, and tools—as workout equipment. Elephant Gardens plans to start the program with their 4-H participants and use the relationships created with these students to reach their families and encourage healthy eating and physical fitness.
This project aligns with DIP-IN focus areas in addressing barriers to both access to healthy food and the opportunity to be physically active.