It all started 14 years ago as a plan by North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco’s civic association, called People Who Love North Bergen, to encourage people to start eating healthier, as part of the never-ending battle to fight cancer. In 1986, Sacco’s organization figured that a way to get North Bergen residents to start eating healthier would be to give them vegetable plants and have the residents grow the healthier foods in their own backyards. The civic association funded the event and provided as many vegetable plants and seeds that were necessary. At least it was a start. Back then, no one could have ever imagined what the program would eventually grow – pardon the pun – into. After residents started receiving vegetable plants, there was thought of including flowers as well, to help beautify the township. Not everyone possesses a green thumb for a vegetable garden, but they certainly can handle the gentle care of a flowerbed or window box. Now, 14 years after the plan’s inception, the beautification and healthy eating program continues, but it’s bigger and better than ever. And it’s a program that is definitely one of its kind. Last Monday and Tuesday, some 400 or so volunteers distributed approximately 300,000 vegetable plants and flowers to the township’s residents, with Sacco’s civic group once again picking up the tab. According to township spokesman Paul Swibinski, the cost of the project is approximately $50,000 and it comes directly from political contributions. “Every bit of it comes from private funding,” Swibinski said. “It’s of no cost to the residents. It comes from money that would have gone for Mayor Sacco’s campaign, but instead of political use, it goes to the plant drive. And the people who support Mayor Sacco are happy to do so. A lot of people look forward to this event. They use what we offer to do all of their spring planting, in window boxes, in their yards.” The plants were purchased by a Fairview landscaper who bought the tomato, cucumber and sweet and hot pepper plants, as well as wide assortment of flowers from the Vegetable Garden, a popular nursery in Hightstown. The most popular flowers given away were the impatiens and the coleus. “We try to stick to the same plants every year,” said coordinator Jimmy Nahira. “We don’t want to get too confusing. We offer so much at no cost.” After the plants were delivered to the MUA Facility on Tonnelle Avenue, the volunteers then took them to assigned spots throughout the township for distribution. Nehira, a sanitation supervisor, coordinated the distribution process. “It was a big effort by a lot of people, especially delivering the plants on very hot days,” said Nehira, who has coordinated the plant giveaway for the last 10 years. “There were approximately 60 sites throughout the town where the plants were being distributed. We try to reach out and serve every single person. It started out as a very small program, but it has grown to enormous proportions.” “They were taken from the MUA in everything imaginable,” Swibinski said. “Shopping carts, wagons, whatever it took. They were loaded up and delivered. And a lot of the volunteers went door to door to deliver the plants.” Approximately 8,000 North Bergen residents received some sort of the plant as part of the program. There was an application form that each resident had to fill out before they became eligible to receive a plant. “It’s very gratifying to see so many people participate in such a fun program,” Sacco said. “There are so many contributors who fund the program. There are so many volunteers who take the time to help distribute the plants. And there are literally thousands of residents who fill out the necessary paperwork to prepare their gardens. No question, it helps to beautify the community. And it offers a strong nutritional value with the vegetables. It beautifies the town, while bringing everyone a little closer together.” Nahira said that the residents can enjoy the plants in two ways. “They get instant gratification with the flowers,” Nahira said. “And they can reap the rewards later on in the summer when the vegetables grow. It’s a big effort, but it’s one that makes everyone happy. It’s the time of year when everyone is working in their yards. You can definitely tell when spring time rolls around in North Bergen, because everyone has their plants
A prettier and healthier North Bergen; Nearly 300,000 flowers and vegetable plants are distributed to residents
