My Sanford Seminole Magazine LIFESTYLE | BUSINESS | TOURISM
Pasha Baker
In 2011, after the opening of her second museum, The Francis Oliver Cultural Arts and Goldsboro Welcome Center, Mrs. Francis Oliver started the Goldsboro Heritage & Art Garden in a small corner of the backyard behind the center. Mrs. Oliver noticed that there was a food desert, a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in the Goldsboro community. To help improve the overall health of Goldsboro, she gave the harvest crops away for free!
Fast forward to 2016, the garden has grown by leaps and bounds. Pasha Baker, the New Director & CEO of The Goldsboro West Side Community Historical Association Inc. positioned the garden as a win for the community, a win for the association, and a win for small businesses. The Goldsboro Heritage & Art Garden provides fresh farm-to-table fruits and vegetables for our local downtown Sanford restaurants. The all organic crops contain no pesticide, fertilizer, or hormones, and travels less than a mile to its final destination thus minimizing our carbon footprint. The harvest that is not sold to restaurants to support the association is given away to the community for free. Since the start of the garden, The Seminole County Health Department has noticed a decrease in heart disease and diabetes within the Goldsboro community.
We are proud of our partnerships with Tennessee Truffle, Mattie’s Dessert & Eatery, The Smiling Bison, MelloSteves Pnuts, and The Picnic Project.
To ensure there are enough fresh fruits and vegetables for the community, we also partnered with local Philanthropist & Contractor Tony Jones.
Mrs. Oliver and her green thumb still curates and plants the crops for the Goldsboro Heritage & Art Garden.
To learn more about Goldsboro, visit us at www.goldsboromuseum.com or facebook.com/goldsboromuseum.com
Pasha, Director & CEO of The Goldsboro West Side Community Historical Association, Inc.
