The Community Gardens were developed with the help of the City of Fort Madison and RSVP as well as the North Lee County Community Foundation and our Corporate Sponsor The Home Depot to address hunger and to teach sustainability to the economically disadvantaged.To encourage healthier eating habits and the importance of fresh vegetables in your diet to fight obesity,and diabetes.The Gardens are in their second year and have been allowed by the property owners to continue with their efforts.The community gardens have expanded this year to include a historic Garden located at the replica of Old Fort Madison located on the Mississippi River.The Garden there is based on Heirloom vegetables that were grown in the 1800's and also has other plants that were commonly used to treat for illness as well as cotton and tobacco. The City of Fort Madison has also asked the RSVP led Community Garden to help with the design and construction of a centrally located Garden that would incorporate local and native grasses and flowers as well as a water feature. The Community Gardens are a focal point for the community to address the need to teach about not only healthy food but also the importance for diversity within the community allowing people from all backgrounds and ethnicity to have a common ground to meet and learn from one another,and what better way to communicate than through the power of food.The Gardens will continue to support local food pantries and homeless shelter with produce grown and will also host educational classes about how to grow vegetables and rain water collection as well as preservation techniques,herbal remedies from our past and the historical importance of some plants that helped shape America like Corn and the plants that will help with America's future like Soybeans and renewable energy sources. The Home Depot Foundation and the Community foundation of North Lee County have enabled the Community Gardens to acquire equipment such as a rear tine tiller,solar powered security lights, drip irrigation systems as well as soil amendments,tools and plants to truly make this a successful and productive place for the citizens of Fort Madison.