Created: Feb 08, 2026 04:45 PM (Updated: Feb 08, 2026 04:45 PM)
Growing crops can improve food security and lower grocery bills, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced.
A spokeswoman said residents can learn how to do this in a free community gardening project, offered through a partnership between the Ministry of Home Affairs and Health.
She explained that the initiative “directly advances the Affordable Bermuda Agenda by addressing food affordability through community empowerment and local production capacity”.
The nine-week programme, aimed at Devonshire residents, is part of the Ministry of Health’s “Grow Eat $ave” campaign and will run between February 19 and April 22.
The spokeswoman said: “Programme participants will gain practical skills to grow their own produce, strengthen community connections through shared learning experiences, discover real ways to reduce grocery bills and develop greater ownership over their household food security.”
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.
The spokeswoman said: “Full attendance is required to ensure participants build comprehensive skills from soil preparation through harvest.”
She added: “Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, notes that Bermuda’s heavy reliance on food imports leaves families vulnerable to international price volatility and supply chain disruptions beyond our control.
“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 Ministry of Home Affairs.
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.
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