This month marked an increase in production in High Country Gardens. Hospitality House’s tomatoes were overflowing the beds and berries could be found ripe and plentiful outside the residents’ apartments. A salsa making workshop utilized the bounty, along with some extra onions donated by Deni from ASD. Participants left the workshop with a jar of their very own salsa and the know-how to start making it at home!
Leola St. Garden beds growing strong!
In the Leola St. Community Garden, families are harvesting hundreds of pounds of a wide variety of nutritious produce, and the amaranth plants are growing strong! The garden recently received some tools from Grow Appalachia funds, including a new wheelbarrow and some new weeding tools to supplement the splintered and rusty old standbys. With the increased growth in plants, comes an increased growth in weeds, and the gardeners of Leola plan to put the tools to good use as they finish out the growing season.
Weeds aren’t much of a problem at Bethel Elementary, where the volunteer garden coordinator, Debbie, has utilized straw to keep the weeds at bay. This month, she kicked off the school year by having 6th graders pick a huge crop of raspberries and she hopes to have the students make jam that can be sold to raise funds for the school garden.
St. Luke’s volunteer garden coordinator, Bill Marr, gets ready to till after a volunteer pulls out bean plants.
At St. Luke’s Community Garden, volunteers came out for a workday and harvested two boxes full of green beans for the F.A.R.M. (Feeding All Regardless of Means) Cafe. An intergenerational group of volunteers from a wide range of experiences discussed important social justice topics while putting in fall starts (yay for fall Collards and communication!), demonstrating just how valuable garden spaces can be for strengthening community.
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