Paris, Tenn.–Thanks to a USDA grant, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office has added a greenhouse and grow tunnel to the inmate garden which they’ve been using to feed jail inmates as well as provide fresh produce to the local community for years.
Sgt. John McElroy oversees the garden and applied for the 50/50 USDA grant last year. The sheriff’s office pays half of the $5,000 that was used to erect the new greenhouse and 30 x 72 grow tunnel.
McElroy said, “This year there are 240 tomato plants, 40 pepper plants and several cucumber plants” at the garden and said the main advantage of the new grow tunnel is to have a more controlled environment allowing the inmates to start growing produce earlier in the year resulting in larger amounts produce to be grown for a longer period of time and ultimately larger quantities of produce being passed on to the community.
Photo: Sgt. McElroy, right, and Chad Evans of the garden crew, look over the new facility. (Henry Co. Sheriff’s Office photo).
