GARDEN DESRIPTION:
The St. Michaels Community Garden Committee and others, under the auspices of the St.Michaels Community Center are working to create a Community Garden on the property between Conner Street and Fremont Street, adjacent to Carpenter Alley. The garden will consist of forty raised beds, compost bins, several benches, and a small garden shed.
The Town Commissioners have enthusiastically agreed to give the Community Center a five year commitment commencing October 15, 2011 to build and sustain a garden on this project.
GARDEN BENEFITS:
The Community Garden will benefit the community in many ways. It will give residents access to fresh produce, educate children and adults in good gardening practices and turn a vacant parcel into a vital and appealing space where people may gather, work together and socialize in a space that builds community.
As this is a social service project, the only fee will be $5.00 for annual use. Equivalent valued produce may be contributed in lieu of the fee. No person will be turned away for economic reasons.
With limited publicity, applications have already been filed for 16 of the 22 available beds. The United Methodist Men of Union have reserved two beds with the intent to contribute their produce to seniors. The St. Michaels Community Center and YouFood are partnering on a two bed gardening program for children. The Master Gardners will be providing workshops on site for gardners who may need assistance or just want to learn more about seasonal planting, pruning, harvesting or anything related to growing a garden.
This note went out about the first work session of the garden group:
The program begins with the delivery by Bridges of 21 cu. yds.of planting soil mix for 10 beds at 9:00 a.m.. This will be followed by Jerry (who leveled our 22 bed planting areas) moving soil to each box. With his 4' wide bucket, Jerry can pretty much fill the four end beds himself. There are six other 4'x 14' beds, however, that only can be reached from the ends. That's where we have an opportunity to participate in the program. As Jerry drops the soil into the end, we spread it out in the box. EASY JOB, no wheel barrel, no shovel lifting, only 6 boxes, many joyful hands!
The filling of these boxes is a true milestone. There is no better way cele ate than by participating in this process and admiring our successful start together. Please let me know by Saturday afternoon if you can so that I may get additional help if we don't have enough hands.
More recently, Troop 741 (being led by Eagle Scout candidate Lamont Brickhous) completed their 12 boxes (for a total of 22 so far). With the additional muscle of Frank Hopkinson, Bill Doherty, and Jim Burdick, the 12 boxes were ought to the site on Tuesday. They have been placed and leveled.
Jeff Richardson has allowed us to close Carpenter Alley Saturday afternoon so Bridges can deliver and leave the soil mix on the blacktop. Troop 741 will fill the frames starting at 9:00 a.m. Sunday just as we did last Monday. Jerry Leanard will be there with his front loader (and two sons and a nephew, all of whom are boy scouts.
