NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy website, recognized El Paso Master Gardeners for its commitment to gardening education in a study that found El Paso as one of the best cities for urban gardening.
Fall planting season is underway in many places, but not everyone with a green thumb has the space for a full garden. NerdWallet found the nation’s best places for urban gardening because community gardens offer the chance to plant, grow, and harvest even in the most urban of cities. After analyzing data from 47 cities, NerdWallet ranked El Paso as the 9th best city for urban gardening. NerdWallet looked the number of city-run community garden plots per 10,000 residents, the amount of the city’s spending on parks and recreation per resident, and the average percentage of sunshine each year.
El Paso has one of the nation’s highest percentages of annual sunshine, and groups such as the El Paso Master Gardeners help make the desert city greener by cultivating volunteer gardeners. Participants in the program, which is part of the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, share what they learn with the community at farmers’ markets, on the radio, and in demonstration gardens, among other places.
“Master Gardeners takes a beloved hobby and makes it a community education program,” said NerdWallet analyst Divya Raghavan. “Plus they volunteer their gardening skills throughout the community, making El Paso greener and more beautiful through their efforts.”
Other desert cities that made the list include Tucson, Ariz. and Las Vegas, Nev. Read the full study here: http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/2013/best-cities-urban-gardening/
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