Hello Garden Friends:
Cool evenings and sunny afternoons are wonderful times to be in the food pantry gardens. Many gardens have second crops of peas, spinach, mustard, turnips, beets and lettuce coming up.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli and potatoes are still strong producers.
Some of us are looking forward to planting garlic soon.
Here’s what’s happening is a garden near you:Here’s what is happening in a food pantry garden near you……..
Agape Garden, 7384 NW 16th Street in Ankeny (Next to the Faith Chapel and close by John Deere)
Over 11,000 pounds donated so far this year!! The garden is still producing over 500 pounds per week. We need your help Next Tuesday to harvest tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, brussel sprouts, broccoli and we have more potatoes to dig.
Volunteer hours in the Agape garden are almost every Tuesday and Thursday evenings around 6:30 and Saturdays from 8 am until Noon. Call Craig Crist to verify time and dates @ 515-577-8260 leave message if no answer. The Agape Garden always needs help.
Faith & Grace Garden. Between 24th & 28th Streets north of Ashworth Road, WDM, between Covenant Presbyterian Church and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, park in the lot north of St. Timothy’s off 24th Street.
Garden picnic planned for next Friday, September 14. Bring the whole family there are activities for children of all ages! Here’s the schedule:
6 pm or so – Potluck – Bring a side dish or something from the deli and table service. There are picnic tables but you might bring a lawn chair, too.
7 pm or so – Gardening – We will start with a mini-tour so everyone gets familiar with the garden and knows where to find the restrooms, water fountain and first aid kit (we have not needed it yet). The picnic area, garden and playground are in close proximity of each other so pretty easy to watch the children.
7:45 pm or so – For those that want to, we gather at one end of the garden for a brief closing prayer before heading home.
Special Note, mark your calendar: Harvest Celebration – Saturday, October 20 from 9am – Noon. Fruit and nut tree plantings with refreshments served at Covenant Presbyterian (on west side of garden).
Below are harvest totals through early September for the Faith & Grace Garden for this year compared to last year.
| Units in Lbs (except corn) |
2011 |
2012 |
||
| Peas |
300 |
Peas |
140 |
|
| Bush Beans |
967 |
Bush Beans |
389 |
|
| Pole Beans |
86 |
Pole Beans |
0 |
|
| Broccolli |
106 |
Broccolli |
67 |
|
| Cabbage |
0 |
Cabbage |
146 |
|
| Caulifower |
0 |
Caulifower |
45 |
|
| Cucumbers |
48 |
Cucumbers |
42 |
|
| Lettuce/Chard |
76 |
Lettuce/Chard |
168 |
|
| Spinach |
70 |
Kale |
20 |
|
| Onions |
113 |
Onions |
861 |
|
| Tomatoes |
1,274 |
Tomatoes |
931 |
|
| Peppers |
92 |
Peppers |
179 |
|
| Honey Dew Melons |
0 |
Purslane |
425 |
|
| Cantaloupe |
98 |
Cantaloupe |
208 |
|
| Water melon |
47 |
Water melon |
1,493 |
|
| Zucchini |
360 |
Zucchini |
155 |
|
| Red Potatoes |
295 |
Potatoes |
1,175 |
|
| White Potatoes |
313 |
Pumpkins |
0 |
|
| Radishes |
30 |
Radishes |
83 |
|
| Turnips |
0 |
Turnips |
203 |
|
| Sweet Potatoes |
0 |
Sweet Potatoes |
525 |
|
| Carrots |
72 |
Carrots |
0 |
|
| Eggplant |
149 |
Eggplant |
2 |
|
| Beets |
7 |
Beets |
0 |
|
| Tl harvested through Sep 2 |
4,503 |
Tl harvested through Sep 5 |
7,257 |
|
| Corn (dozens) |
97 |
Corn (dozens) |
101 |
|
|
|
|
|
Fundraiser for mission to El Salvador. If you like to have a delicious dinner before heading to the garden on this Wednesday night, stop by Covenant Presbyterian Church to enjoy authentic El Salvador pupusas (tortillas filled with pork & cheese, beans & cheese or just cheese), and casaminto (rice & bean dish). Meal includes fruits and beverages. All donations for meal to support Covenant’s 2012 delegation trip in September to re-visit and support the 48 families in their partner village of San Isidro, El Salvador.
For more information, please see attached flyer.
St. Anthony’s Garden of Eden An estimated 1,200 pounds of vegetables harvested so far: Peppers of several varieties, Onions, Radishes, Potatoes and Tomatoes. Okra is about a week away. Tomatoes are just now coming in volume.
Here’s the hot news……John Piper says, “I have a new volunteer in the garden. Marie Garneau and I are planning to marry on November 24, 2012 at 2 PM at St. Anthony Church. I am feeling much better each day. The surgeon said six months after the operation my heart should be as strong as 10 years ago.” Congratulations, John!!
For information about the Garden of Eden, please contact John at comphelp@ecity.net or by calling 515-240-3146.
| St Francis of Assisi Garden The garden is located across the street to the North, from St Francis of Assisi church in the North-east corner of the playground.
Gardening every Sunday evening. For more information, contact Jan Hoeman atJanhoeman@mchsi.com. |
Urban Harvest Garden – An outreach of Urban Heights Covenant benefitting the Urbandale/Windsor Heights Food Pantry 7605 Aurora, Urbandale, Iowa 278-1371
For information and best times to garden, please email garden manager Beth Rydberg at brydberg@mchsi.com or by calling at 314-2114.
Here’s a great site to help you tell if the melons you’re growing or picking are ripe.
Becoming Better Off
Peter Maurin
The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off. For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody is better off. But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off.
Everybody would be rich if nobody tried to become richer. And nobody would be poor if everybody tried to be the poorest. And everybody would be what he ought to be if everybody tried to be what he wants the other fellow to be.
Source: The Catholic Worker
See you in the garden,
Tim