A free community gardening project is offering residents the chance to grow their own crops and cut their grocery bills.

The initiative is a partnership between the health ministry and home affairs ministry to advance the Affordable Bermuda Agenda and empower the community to produce more food at less cost.

The nine-week programme, aimed at Devonshire residents, aims to teach participants practical skills to grow their own produce, strengthen community connections through shared learning experiences, discover real ways to cut grocery bills and develop greater ownership over their household food security.

It is part of the health ministry’s Grow Eat $ave campaign and will run between February 19 and April 22.

Kevin Santucci will lead the workshop from 5.30pm to 6.30pm every Thursday.

Registration is free but a minimal fee for gardening materials may be needed. Full attendance is required to ensure participants build comprehensive skills from soil preparation through to harvesting their crops.

Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, said that Bermuda’s heavy reliance on food imports left families vulnerable to international price volatility and supply chain disruptions beyond our control.

She added: “This initiative provides residents with practical alternatives by teaching them to produce fresh vegetables and herbs at home, creating measurable household savings, while building community resilience.”

Participants can use their new gardening skills in a community plot in Devonshire, prepared by the home affairs ministry.

Ms Lightbourne said: “When families spend less on groceries through home production, they gain breathing room in their budgets for other essential needs. This is empowerment at its most tangible: soil under your hands, fresh food on your table and resilience built plot by plot.

“This pilot represents our commitment to building a modern affordability ecosystem that goes beyond duty reductions to create structural change.

“We’re giving families practical tools to take control of at least one element of their household expenses, while strengthening the community connections that make Bermuda resilient.”

Devonshire residents can visit costofliving.gov.bm to register for the programme and should do so by February 16.