Therapy Horticulture program & Horticulture Mentor program Description: Program Inmates plant and tend gardens using donated seeds from local non-profit organizations. Fresh produce raised from the donated seeds will be donated to Homeless shelters and Food Banks in the community. The mentor program through the Prison volunteer program will help mentor and develop the inmates working the program into better citizens upon release. Benefits: USP Leavenworth enjoys the community?s involvement. This enhances positive public relations. In addition to benefitting the community, these programs are beneficial to the inmates who learn new and affordable marketable and social skills. This is a volunteer community service project sponsored by local non-profit charitable organizations in conjunction with USP Leavenworth and is designed to provide for the public good in keeping with the overall goals of the community, such as community food banks, battered woman and homeless shelters in the local community. This inmate volunteer project provides the inmates with the training and experience that will translate into meaningful work opportunities for the inmates upon release in the agricultural, greenhouse, and landscape industries. This project does not displace regular employees, supplant employment opportunities ordinarily available within the sponsoring organizations, or impair an contracts for services. This inmate volunteer project supplements the community?s resources and provides an opportunity for the inmates to perform community service for non-profit charitable organizations voluntarily. The nonprofit organizations sponsoring this project will provide funding for soil samples, and all organic pesticide and herbicides to be used in the Therapy & Mentor Horticulture Project . Community Volunteers will supervise the planting, maintenance and harvesting of the produce. All organic pesticides and herbicides will be pre-approved by the USP Leavenworth Safety Department and any materials (including, but not limited to seeds and fertilizer) used in the garden will be stored in a separate, locked area as designated by USP Leavenworth Food Service Administrator. Leavenworth Salvation Army, a local non-profit food bank, provides food to hungry persons through local social service shelters in the Leavenworth, Kansas area. Leavenworth Salvation Army and other sponsoring organizations will provide donations for associated garden supplies to include seeds, planting material, and personal protective equipment for inmates. A portion of the food items grown in the institution garden as part of the Therapy & Mentor Horticulture Project will be provided to Leavenworth Salvation Army. Leavenworth Salvation Army has explicitly stated and understands that there is no guarantee of production. Leavenworth Salvation Army is aware that USP Leavenworth will not provide potable water to irrigate the garden due to conservation efforts. Leavenworth Salvation Army staff will determine which items are suitable for consumption and will supervise the selection of these items for delivery to the local food banks and shelters. USP Leavenworth will provide a plot of land for the garden separate from its existing institution garden. USP Leavenworth staff will supervise inmates within existing institution garden, but staff will not participate directly in any of the gardening activities or provide any instruction to inmates regarding planting, care, maintenance or harvesting of the Therapy & Mentor Horticulture Project garden. USP Leavenworth will provide volunteer badges for frequent community volunteers for the Therapy & Mentor Horticulture Project. Any produce resulting from this project will be delivered to the institution food service warehouse for pickup by Leavenworth Salvation Army as scheduled in advance. USP Leavenworth Food Service Horticulture Program. FY 2008 * USP Leavenworth Food Service established the Horticulture Program in FY 2008 with a 9 acre garden. * FPC Education Department established in FY 2008, a 4000 hour Landscape/ Horticulture Apprenticeship through the Department of Labor * Over 151,000 gross lbs. of produce was harvested and used in the USP Leavenworth Food Service Department. FY 2009 * In FY 2009, the Food Service Vermiculture Project was established and is self-containing. The bedding for the worms is produced from the Food Service composting program. * The worms will eat over 20,800 lbs. of food waste a year which is diverted away from the local land fill and saving money for the institution trash removal. The worm castings harvested are then used as fertilizer for the green house project and other projects around the institution grounds. * In FY 2009, the Food Service Composting Project was established and is self-containing. 65,000 lbs of food waste and yard waste was used in the composting project. * In FY 2009, the Food Service Green House Project was established and is self-containing. Since established over 100,000 plants have been started in the green house. * In FY 2009, the Food Service Water harvesting project was established and is self-containing. Since established over 360,000 gallons of rain water have been harvested and been used for irrigation in the Gardens. * In FY 2009, the Food Service Green House Project was established and is self-containing. Since established over 100,000 plants have been started in the green house. * In FY 2009, the Food Service Garden / Farm Equipment Recycling Project. Using the GSA excess site Food Service has been able to acquire over $192,800 of much needed equipment. Recycling this equipment from other Government agencies has proven to be a great asset to the success of the Horticulture Program. In FY 2009, the Food Service Water Shed Project was established; there are 3 water structures (ponds) north of the USP Leavenworth. The three ponds had samples drawn from them in the spring of 2009 and sent to Kansas State University for testing and all ponds tested good for irrigation. If needed there is an estimated 9.5 million gallons of water that could be used for irrigation. * In FY 2009 Garden project increased in size to 32 acres. * In FY 2009 319,000 gross lbs of produce was harvested and used in the USP Leavenworth Food Service Department and at other facilities in the North Central Region. Specifically, the following institutions received produce from the Leavenworth Horticulture Program: FCC Florence 31,009 gross lbs. FCI Greenville 22,334 gross lbs. FPC Yankton 14,460 gross lbs. FMC Springfield 48,156 gross lbs. FY 2010 * In FY 2010, the Food Service Horticulture Program Therapy and Mentoring Community Service Program was established. * Food Service partnered with the following non profit organizations: ? Leavenworth County Salvation Army ? Harbor Lights Salvation Army, Kansas City ? Bellefontaine Salvation Army, Kansas City ? Jefferson County Salvation Army ? Holton County Salvation Army ? City Union Mission, Kansas City ? Council Of Aging Leavenworth County ? Alliance On Violence Leavenworth County ? Youth Achievement Center Leavenworth County * Estimated 1000 - 1400 Families are receiving food through this program every week. * Over 40 volunteers from the community are involved. * In FY 2010, An estimated 300,000 gross lbs of produce will be harvested. It is Estimated we will end the season in November with produce donated to the community service program totaling 100,000 gross lbs . * 85 Inmate Volunteers with over 3500 hrs have participated to date in the program In addition to benefitting the community, these programs are beneficial to the inmates who learn new skills, and enable inmates the opportunity to give back to the community and establish a productive work ethic. FY 2011 Over 300,000 lbs. of produce will be donated to the local community. • 20,000 families will benefit from this program.