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| Inmates grow their veggies |
| By walb.com |
| Published: 05/07/2009 |
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Inmates grow their veggies in Thomasville By Christian Jennings il THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Thomas county inmates have a new horticulture detail...their new vegetable garden on prison property off County Farm Road needs people to tend it. That garden could end up saving tens of thousands of dollars in food costs. It's not your typical garden. Here farmers are replaced with inmates and they're growing vegetables they'll eat at the prison dinner table. "Today we're starting the planting," said RJ Byrne. Thomas County extension agent RJ Byrne and Warden Robert Greer came up with the idea as a unique way to cope with rising food costs. "On a weekly basis we spend about $5,000 for a week of food supply and of that probably $1000 or more in vegetables, in produce and we invested probably less than $1000 in this project," said Warden Greer. Here's an example of how much the prison will save. One kernel of corn produces three ears of corn. And the warden only paid ten dollars for a four pound bag. Now compare that with what you pay at the farmer's market. Here corn is two for a dollar. "We're going to grow corn, squash, tomatoes, beans, peppers, okra, and cucumbers," said Byrne. But the soon to be colorful, delicious vegetables will benefit more than just you, the taxpayer. They'll provide inmates with a new skill to take with them when they leave their cell. "They're really interested in the garden and a lot of them are already volunteering to be on a permanent detail for this," said the Warden. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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