THE CRIME BULLETIN Northeast Alabama's Law Enforcement Community Billboard
Calhoun Calhoun inmates grow produce, reap benefits of hard work Vegetable garden helps offset food costs and provides work for inmates By Danny McCarty The Star Marketing Department Calhoun County jail inmates are learning lessons in reaping what you sow, and in eating what you sow courtesy of a vegetable garden. The Calhoun County Jail Garden program is supported by the Calhoun County Commision, with J. D. Hess currently serving as chairman, according to Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson. Even though inmates growing their own vegetables for use in the jail kitchen is not really a new idea, it is not a common occurance. Some state prisons have their own farms, as do some county and city jails. The county jail is only allocated $1.75 a day per inmate for three meals a day, Sheriff Amerson said. In years past the county managed to stretch resources to the limit. With food prices rising daily, it was time to try something new. The number of prisoners in the Calhoun County jail varies from one day to the next, but it hovers around 485 on an average day. A tremendous amount of food is needed to feed them all, Amerson said. Aside from the budget concerns, Amerson said It makes sense that the inmates should work to help offset the cost of their confinement. However this is not the only program the county has for the jail inmates to help the tax payers. They also help keep the animal shelter clean and work at area parks doing various jobs. The farm itself is located in the city of Anniston, near Weaver, and is called Holly Farm. "Former Anniston mayor, Chip Howell, was very supportive when the farming program was started, and current Anniston mayor, Gene Robinson, continues to support the program,�
Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star
Calhoun County jail inmate Michael Clark with a basket of squash and cucumbers that he picked at the old Holly Farm near Weaver.
Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star
Calhoun County jail inmate James Edgeworth hands fellow inmate Michael Clark a squash that he picked at the old Holly Farm near Weaver.
Amerson said. To ensure public safety, only minimum security inmates work the garden and they are guarded to prevent any escapes. The inmates volunteer to work on the farm, and so far getting enough workers has not been a problem. However, there are more and more prisoners being jailed that are considered high risk, or violent, and are therefore not allowed to serve on the work detail. Now in its third year, the garden is beginning to show results. After two seasons plagued by drought, this year it is becoming profitable and the inmates at the Calhoun County jail are reaping the benefits of their hard work. One reason for the new success is the technique, plasticulture, which involves the use of long sheets of plastic placed on the ground with holes cut ever so often to allow the plants to be inserted. A “soaker� hose is placed under the plastic that allows the plants to be watered and fertilized with regularity and eliminates the need to water the whole garden, thus saving on water and fertilizer. The plastic all but elimates competiton from weeds. There is a little more to it than that, but that is plasticulture in a nutshell. The advantages of the plasticulture system is early harvest, cleaner vegetables (since the vegetables never touch the ground), less maintenance, high yields, and ease of harvest. “Since the first two years of the gardening program encountered some problems, a new system was implemented this spring. Plasticulture is a fairly new technique in farming,� said Dan Spector, a master gardener who volunteers his time and services to the Calhoun County jail garden program. The garden itself is about an acre for now, but hopefully it can be expanded in the future. The plasticulture concept can produce a large amount of vegetables on a very small amount of land. “Due to the unusal amount of rain we had in late spring, the actual planting at Holly Farm had to be delayed until June 18th. However,
the land is now producing a bountiful supply of squash that the inmates harvest several times a week," Spector said. He said the produce is cooked and served to the prisoners at the jail, thus saving the county money. "In the not to distant future, beans, okra and other summer vegetables will hopefully be ready for harvest, since they are coming along nicely at the present time." As cooler weather approaches, there are plans in the works to plant such things as broccoli and cauliflower after the summer plants have stopped bearing. This will keep the garden going, and make it more cost efficient. There is an overgrown apple orchard and numerous pecan trees on the Holly Farm property, Spector said. "There have been discussions about the possibility of trying to clear unwanted brush away and getting the fruit trees back in good shape for production. That is a project for the future.� Over the course of time, Spector has gotten to know some of the inmates personally, and most of them really enjoy working on the farm. “Some inmates want to stay on the land past their alloted hours of work. One inmate who will be released from jail soon is thinking of returning to the farm as a volunteer to help with the project.� Spector believes that because of little things like this, the program is well worth continuing. Sheriff Amerson added, “The garden is an impressive sight to see, it is the right thing to do, and I am well pleased with the results this summer.� Maybe other counties and cities in Alabama will follow Amerson’s lead in implimenting a farming program for prisoners. It could help the morale of the inmates and give them the incentive to become law-abiding citizens after their release. Not only is this program good for the inmates, but it is good for the community as well. Danny McCarty is a freelance writer in Anniston.
Home Equity Line of Credit ,*% -0(/2 (+% ,& .%$(/ (+/.,$0#/,.2
',+% 3 ,)) .%% 111 ",$&#0 #,* !
Let Us Help You Find The Right Option
''. % + '- ! - . $ - -( + #- ))+(/ % (& + ,-+# -#(' ' (' #-#(', ))%2 - , ' )+(&(-#(' % - +&, ,. $ - -( " '! 0#-"(.- '(-# % , (',.%- 2(.+ - 1 /#,(+ + ! + #'! -" . -# #%#-2 ( #'- + ,- % , , & & + , +/# + )+ , '- -#/ (+ .++ '- + - , ' - #%, " #'-+( . -(+2 + - ( #, (+ -" 3 +,- ,#1 &(-", " + - + -" 0#%% / +2 , (' -" )+#& + -
, ( , ). %#," #' -" %% -+ - (.+' % )%., (+ &#'., & +!#' , (' + #- 0(+-"#' ,, " & 1#&.& 0#%% '(- 1 %(,#'! (,- + '! +(& -( %(,#'! (,- 0#%% ) # 2 -" + #- '#(' # -" #'#-# % / ' - %(,#'! #, (+ &(+ ' )+#' #) % % ' ( (+ &(+ #, (.-,- ' #'! (+ -" 3 +,- 2 + -" +0#, 2(. 0#%% + *.#+ -( + #& .+, -" + #- '#(' (+ -" %(,#'! (,-