The Watonga Indian Baptist Church began working last week on a community garden space where they hope to grow fruits and vegetables and inspire locals to eat healthy.
Members assembled at the church late Thursday afternoon before walking to their nearby lot on the corner of 1st and Wikoff Street. There, they set to work weeding and tilling the soil, preparing the dirt patch for plants.
Watonga Indian Baptist member Quinton Roman Nose said it can be difficult to eat healthy in a “food desert” like rural Oklahoma.
“Even though we’ve got places to get food, it’s not always the kind of food we should be eating,” Roman Nose told the Watonga Republican. “There’s a lot of diabetes and obesity among, not just tribal members, but also among the general population. Oklahoma, in general, we’re No. 1 in fast foods. As far as health, we’re not very good.”
Roman Nose said the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes has a food distribution program, but even that food is not always healthy. And the tribe has a large area to service, while the church’s garden will be focused on Watonga.
“We’re all guilty of promoting fast food,” Roman Nose said. “I always thought I was giving my kids a treat. After something, I would take them to McDonald’s and give them a Happy Meal, but I didn’t realize.”
He said locals who want to help with the garden, or want information about obtaining vegetables, can attend or contact the Watonga Indian Baptist Church for more information. Roman Nose said the church aims to produce what it can and “get it out to whoever wants it.”
Attendees who helped work on the garden Thursday included the church Pastor David Lee, Watonga City Councilwoman Tina Willis, and other church members.
The Watonga Indian Baptist Church is located at the intersection of Harmon Avenue and Main Street in Watonga.