North Baltimore Garden Club is Public Health Hero for planting seeds of healthy living in community – BG Independent News

By JULIE CARLE

BG Independent News

The North Baltimore Garden Club planted seeds for a community garden that has blossomed into a community program for residents to adopt healthy living goals.

The club, founded in 1934 as part of a statewide gardening association before becoming an independent local group, has a 91-year legacy of sharing the joy of gardening with North Baltimore residents and adding beauty to many public spaces in the village.

With guidance and support of the Wood County Health Department’s Creating Healthy Communities Program staff, the garden club has brought a “shared vision to life, creating a vibrant community garden at the North Baltimore Village Park, now a space for learning, connection and growth,” said Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison.

For their efforts, the club was named the 2025 Public Health Hero.

“We began to identify a community partner here in Wood County who had made significant contributions to health and health outcomes to recognize as our public health hero,” Robison said. “We considered over the course of the last year, someone who has been invested, involved and has done things that have made lasting impacts in their community and Wood County overall.”

In addition to the club’s long-term commitment to the village, members also helped plan, implement and evaluate programs for the Grow to Go program, where they taught families about planting and inspired more residents to grow their own food.

The club didn’t stop there. They used the community garden as a meeting spot. They hosted Coffee Talks and educational sessions among the plants in the garden. Neighbors were invited to the garden to come together as a community, learn about healthy living and sustainability, and exchange ideas with one another.

They were vital partners in gathering community feedback. The input helped to better understand local needs around healthy eating and physical activity. Their insights helped shape local healthy living strategies and ensure community voices are heard when it comes to public health planning.

Fundraising has been an important part of their work, as they developed a long-term sustainability plan to make sure the community garden doesn’t wither, but continues to flourish for years to come. 

“They also championed walkability and bike friendliness in North Baltimore, participating in audits that promote safe and active transportation for all ages,” Robison added.

“It has been our honor to assist the health department in this project, and we thank them every day for bringing this to us,” said Tracy Cotterman, North Baltimore Garden Club president. “We’ve talked about a community garden for years. Now, we’ve got all kinds of plans to grow it and make it sustainable.  Thanks to the county health department for noticing that we could use some help. This has been phenomenal.”

This is the third year the health department has presented a Public Health Hero Award to an individual or organization whose work embodies the spirit of collaboration, innovation and service in the name of public health.

Previous winners were Ed Nagle, CEO of Nagle Companies, for help with county relief efforts, and Sharon Schaeffer, a registered nurse whose service on the Wood County Community Health Center Board helped expand the center’s services.

“What makes the North Baltimore Garden Club so remarkable is their heart and belief that small global efforts can create lasting change,” Robison said. “They remind us that public health happens not just in our clinics or offices, but in gardens, parks, and everyday acts of neighbors working together for the common good.”