Community Garden!

I plan on spending some time working this year in a community garden our church built. It consists of fifteen acres acquired a few years ago for the purpose of providing free gardening spaces for anyone who needs a small space to raise a few vegetables. The acreage was subdivided into three sections of five acres each. One area provides plots measuring about 15' X 15'. The remaining acreage is equally divided between a fruit/nut orchard and vegetable production for food pantries and soup kitchens.

I visited the "farm" this past weekend to see how it looks after sitting fallow for the winter. The community area was surprisingly active with the "owners" of about twenty or thirty plots already preparing their soil for planting. The design and planting restrictions on the plot owners is minimal. It's very interesting to watch people of many nationalities preparing their plot in traditional ways. Some erect simple bamboo structures, while others erect PVC or wooden structures to support shade cloths over their plots. Some line the edges of their plots with rock or pressure treated timbers. Many use wood chip mulch and other materials to cover the foot paths around their plots.

If you look at each plot up close, they are very ingenious in how they are prepared and cared for. If you move far enough away, the area has the appearance of a third world shanty town.

I'm very interested in seeing what the individuals of various nationalities plant as their preferred crops. I'll take some photos of the crops as the season progresses and post them.

Here are a couple of videos of the garden. I forgot these are available on the internet. On the first link, you must scroll to the bottom of the page to click the link to the video.

http://dentoncountyfarmbureau.org/ne...dcommunity.asp

This is a youtube video of the garden as it was being constructed a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qIVczgHm7o


Ted

[Crandrew]

Ted, what a great way to give back, learn and eat well at the same time. I would also find the various methods you are observing to be fascinating as well. GL!

[Deborah]

Ted, you lucky duck !

[Redbaron]

Two thumbs up!

I've been working in the community garden for a couple of weeks now and really have enjoyed it. We harvested cold weather crops like beets, carrots, broccoli, onions, and a few other things yesterday and took it to the Salvation Army. I think they provided about two hundred lbs of produce from the garden. It was actually a small delivery because the winter veggies are about finished producing.

We planted 1/2 acre of potatoes last Saturday and will plant the same amount of onions next Saturday. The crops like corn and beans will be seed planted when the soil is dry enough to plant. We have a seed planter pulled behind a tractor so that should be an easy job to plant all the seed. Many of the crops like watermelon and cantelopes and cucumbers will be mound planted. We have a machine to build mounds, but the seed must be hand planted in the mounds.

I was walking the rows of asparagus yesterday spreading leaves and wood mulch between the rows and the asparagus crowns were just beginning to send up new shoots. There isn't enough to harvest yet so I would pick an occasional asparagus shoot and eat it as I worked. It's amazing how good it tastes fresh from the soil. The fruit trees are just beginning to put on bloom buds and everything is showing signs of new life again.

We have 126 individual plots and many of the plot owners show up early in the mornings to help harvest the community garden. They then move over to their plots and work in them. I've enjoyed watching them prepare their soil and start planting their crops.

Ted

[Gavriil]

Yeah I'm Jealous so I won't comment.

[clkeiper]

Ted,
That is an awesome ministry. We have a "Matthew 14" ministry here at one of our farmers markets that helps to pay heating and utility bills with the proceeds. I think all of us up north of you are so ready for spring.

Is that asparagus purple, by any chance? that is the best when it is raw.

Nice to see there are so many people working to grow their own food and then some.

[davidstcldfl]

Wow, that's great Ted. What a nice project...

Carolyn,

No! The spears are green but delicious. I'm thinking about laying some black plastic over a couple of rows so the first spears will be white. That is also pretty good. I don't think I have ever eaten purple spears.

Ted

[whistech]

Ted, I just want to say that I believe what you are doing is what being a Christian is all about. You don't always need a church house to get close to the Good Lord.

Whistech, thank you; but this forum is intended for discussing what we do more than what we believe. I let people draw their own conclusions. I will say I enjoy working in the garden and I appreciate how the food is used. We have no means test for who gets the food and who doesn't. We try to direct the food to groups and organizations whose purpose is to feed the hungry or needy.

Ted

The community garden I enjoy working in is sponsored and supported by my church. Many community gardens are simply supported by the community. Some rent their plots out each year in order to support the needs of the garden. Some provide the plots free of charge. The following video is a community garden in Austin, Texas. I really appreciate how "communities" come together to provide something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XIadNWvrHQ

I was reading an article last night about the devastating results of our national economy on Detroit, Michigan. The city has lost over one million residents for many reasons. It has resulted in entire communities being abandoned with the crumbling houses and businesses being bulldozed. Now the communities are coming back together around gardens and green belts. It's amazing what a garden can do in a community.

Ted