Planning to Plant

-Bea Sias, Logan, WV

Lead Community Org.

 

We had our Planning Workshop on March 14, 2015, at the Lead Community Org. Office.   Lead has a large office, but it would not hold all those in attendance.  We were able to get everyone in and had a good meeting on what vegetables we plan to plant.  Most of our gardeners wanted items found in most gardens, like tomatoes, onions, lettuce and potatoes.  We had forty-five in attendance that day, but a few had to work on Saturday, so I met with them throughout the week.

We have a variety of gardeners this year, and not just from single home families.  In our area, we have a two Recovery Group homes, one for men and one for women.  Each of these homes have approximately twenty occupants.  Both homes will have one large garden, all will work in the garden and share the food.  It is up to each individual to supply their own food.  The Recovery Group homes have already started their gardens.  They have built several raised beds and they also have a large plot of ground to use.

We also have gardeners from eight assisted living homes.  The residents of these homes are able to garden with minimal assistance from resident workers.  They do have CNA’s to help take care of them.  All the eight homes has thirty-five people who live in them. Volunteers will be helping them and showing them what needs to be done in the garden.  The Director told me, the residents ask daily when it is time to plant.  This is good therapy for these people, and also provides exercise.  Not all the people from those homes attended the workshops, however, the Director and some employees from the home attended instead.

Most of the people in my Gardening Program wants to learn to can and make jellies and jams.   I will focus on canning and have Guest speakers come in and go over the main tips of canning in the future.

We have a lot of things planned for this year in Logan and hopefully, God will bless everyone’s garden.