Gardening is a popular pastime for many people, but for Cynthia Jessee, it’s more than just a hobby. It’s her therapy. That’s why she takes soil safety very seriously when planning her Songbird Community Garden.
However, despite the fact that lead can be found in all parts of the environment including the air, water, inside homes and in soil, there has been little lead testing conducted in Yellowstone County. This makes the risk of lead in the soil uncertain.
To address this issue and provide peace of mind to gardeners like Cynthia, RiverStone Health has partnered with Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden to offer free soil testing for lead. Melissa Henderson, director of health promotion at RiverStone explained that lead naturally occurs in soil in low amounts but higher levels can be found in communities with older homes built before 1978. This grant from the state health department is part of their focus on childhood lead poisoning prevention as soil is a common exposure for children. Even small amounts of lead can cause growth and developmental issues while larger amounts can damage the brain.
The free soil testing event on Saturday will be quick and easy way for people to ensure that the soil they are growing food in or where their children play is safe. The state will provide an X-ray machine that can check the soil in real-time completing the process in about 5 to 10 minutes. Henderson emphasized that understanding your soil quality is crucial as it has long-lasting effects on individuals’ health.
Cynthia plans to have different sections of her garden tested at this event to ensure everyone’s safety while gardening is a therapy for her. People interested in getting their soils tested can bring up to five bags of dry debris-free soil separated into clean clear quart-sized plastic bags for testing from 9 a.m until noon at Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden.
Overall, this partnership between RiverStone Health and Gainan’s Heights Flowers and Garden will not only help keep our community safe but also promote healthy gardening habits among residents like Cynthia Jessee who rely heavily on topsoil for their wellbeing