The Great Milwaukee Victory Garden BLITZ is the largest garden-building event in the nation, with its founding nonprofit Victory Garden Initiative (VGI; 1845 N. Farwell Ave.) constructing approximately 500 four-by-eight-foot raised-bed gardens in nearly every Milwaukee County zip code and beyond each May. This year, the BLITZ runs May 7-21 and is enlisting more than 300 volunteers to help build another 500 gardens filled with organic soil in two weeks—bringing the total number of gardens installed in the past seven years by VGI to more than 3,000.
VGI started with a group of friends in 2009 who together installed about 35 raised-bed gardens in a single day after a pro-edible front yard gardens rally in Shorewood. The nonprofit’s mission is to build communities who grow food together. In addition to the annual BLITZ, VGI also hosts edible gardening classes, initiates community projects, offers a garden mentoring program and runs a Fruity Nutty Campaign, which promotes the planting of fruit and nut trees in city parks and residential yards.
What are the benefits of a raised-bed garden in the city? In addition to being self-sustainable and highly educational, planting can be done earlier, superior drainage encourages healthier plant growth, roots remain away from contaminated and nutrient-stripped soils, back strain is reduced because gardeners don’t have to kneel so far down and there is often a higher crop yield due to the rich nutrients of the organic soil used in the bed.
VGI is seeking volunteers throughout the BLITZ as well as sponsors to help fund gardens for residents and communities who cannot afford to purchase their own. Volunteer registration is open to individuals and groups. Raised garden beds are available for purchase by any resident, community and business interested. For more information about the Victory Garden Initiative and the BLITZ, contact Kelly Moore at 414-431-0888 or kelly@VictoryGardenInitiative.org, or visit victorygardeninitiative.org.
