The fifth month of the 2022 garden program has arrived at St. Vincent Mission! The start of this month was met with a large outside donation of 75 tomato plants, which were given out to the David School to aid students with their garden. The beginning of the new month also marks the end of tilling, as all participants requesting aid have received it. That brings us to a total of 11 garden plots tilled.

At this month’s meeting, participants were given tomato cages and nitrogen. Keith Hackworth returned once again to give an introduction on common pesticides and fungicides used in gardening. He also lectured on uses of raised beds and why they could be a great choice for your plot.

Introducing the interviewees for this month, we have Dale Jacobs and Betty Conn. Dale has been a local resident for 20 years, and spent 7 years tending gardens. His interest in gardening stems from the satisfaction of eating is own food, which is exactly what he plans to do once the harvest comes in! When asked about the program, he stated that it’s absolutely great. Next on the stage, a local for 73 years, Betty has been gardening for 2 years. She was introduced to her first garden as a child, which she tended to with her family. She believes it to be a very relaxing scene to watch as plants grow and produce. She also stated that gardening is a great source of exercise and a potential save in budgeting. She plans to eat, can, and freeze her produce. Any extra will be given away. When asked about the program, she said it is very informative and looks forward to learning more. She also hopes that it will encourage people to live a more organic and simple life.