Hello everyone!
2020 has been quite the year, hasn't it? I hope this finds you all safe and healthy!
I wrote about my husband suggesting I garden to help my mental state with being home and not being able to be social. I often tell him, he's a genius! His idea truly helped me psychologically and emotionally.
I turned most of our backyard into a garden, about 1600 foot of it anyway. I planted my normal garden things and I planted things I'd never grown before. I experimented with ways of gardening I hadn't employed before. It was therapeutic for me.
I knew there would be far more than we needed to eat for our family so I'd arranged to donate the excess. After what we ate, what I canned/dried/froze, and what we gave to family, we were STILL able to donate 521 pounds of produce. I had a goal of donating 200 pounds, I had no idea we could more than double that!
I've often wondered why more people didn't garden. I mean, I know I live in the city now but you don't need 1600 sq. ft. to garden to supplement your groceries. I find a lot of people don't know how or are unsure how to start. Many people prefer organics, the best organics you can acquire are those you grow! When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, you know exactly how those items were cared for. Watching it all grow from dirt and seeds to a colorful sea of fruits and veggies is truly art in motion.
I've wanted to create a community garden for quite some time. With my husband's encouragement, I've taken the steps to get things started. I have created a non-profit called Gram's Gardens...yes, a play on my business, Gram's Jams, that I had to close when I got cancer. To me, the name also harkens back to my own dear, sweet Gram. She was a cook...in the old school sense of the word. No one went hungry around Gram and there was always something homemade lurking somewhere in that kitchen of hers! She didn't have a huge garden (that was my wonderful Uncle Luke!) but she always had fresh produce. I'm in my 50's now and some day, I will learn to cut a cantaloupe with the finesse she had!
Gram's Gardens will start by expanding and continuing the donation garden that we did last summer. We also own an empty lot nearby that we will be turning into a Community Garden. There are already some fruit trees there (apple, peach, and pear) and we will be expanding that and also planting some other fruits (strawberry, blackberry, grapes, and blueberries), probably some rhubarb too (even though that's icky...LOL). I have to move a fence and have one large...really large tree taken down to open the lot up to the sun. We'll then have plots for members of the community to be able to grow their own mini garden if they don't have their own yard. I am also looking at a way to allow those with disabilities or others unable to garden on the ground to be able to garden. I see built raised beds so those in wheelchairs can roll right up to them to garden or the elderly don't have to get on the ground to do so. I remember when my Mom was in hospice, the highlight of her day was taking her outside to the raised beds, built so a wheelchair fit under them and she could garden from her chair. More people need to have that available to them. Fresh air and sunshine are good for everyone!
We'll be showing people how to garden in the Community garden and eventually, I want to make deliveries to elderly and shut-ins who are unable to go to the local pantry or the Farmer's market.
Our state paperwork has been approved, we have a Board of Directors, I've enrolled in Purdue Extension course on starting a farm (I know...but that is sorta what we're doing here) and I've applied for a City program that focuses on successfully running a non-profit to be a food champion...cross your fingers that I'm chosen! Everything isn't going to happen in a day, or even in the first season, but we're on our way!
I'm looking forward to getting this going and giving back to my wonderful community!
Wear your mask - Wash your hands - Social Distance - Be safe!
