Gardening and Stress Management

Tri-Eagle Sales, Gadsden County Employee Wellness Program

Employee Wellness Program at Tri-Eagle Sales

Tri-Eagle Sales and UF/IFAS Extension in Gadsden County have teamed up to create an Employee Garden at their Midway office, as part of their Employee Wellness program.

Gardens have become a beneficial tool for employee wellness programs. Gardening can have a positive effect on stress and mood. Being in touch with nature and the great outdoors helps reduce stress simply by creating a space where employees can relax and get their hands dirty. Vegetable gardening offers sunshine, exercise, mental therapy, fresh vegetables, and can help save money. Being outside in the fresh air promotes a sense of well-being, and can even help us sleep better at night.

There are also many nutritional benefits of eating fresh vegetables including fiber, and vitamins and minerals. Homegrown produce simply tastes better.

According to Gessele Rodriguez, Human Resource Manager at Tri-Eagles Sales “some of our employees don’t have the space, the experience or may be too busy to start their own garden,” “The vegetables that our garden produces is offered to all staff, which can be a big savings for employees who would otherwise be spending a lot at the grocery store for organic produce.”

North Florida’s summer sun can limit how much produce a garden yields, although the garden is still going strong. September will be the ideal time to replant this garden with cooler weather such as cabbage, beets, onions, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, and radishes. Tri-Eagle sales will encourage their staff to take advantage of the stress relieving and nutritional benefits of this garden for years to come.

To learn more about the programs that UF/IFAS Extension offers visit: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/orange/family-and-consumer-sciences/

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