The Local Fresh Food Alliance Workshop Builds a Demonstration Garden on Alt Rte 220

Under an unsettled sky we built our demonstration raised-bed vegetable garden at Julian Woods Lane on May 22. Rain kindly blessed our efforts with deep watering of the newly planted seedlings immediately after we punched the final staple holding the protective netting in place.

The garden is to encourage visitors to the nearby Green Shop† (opening the last weekend of June) to grow their own gardens even when only  apparently small or unsuitable ground surface is available.

Currently many of us drive 20 or more miles for the nearest food in this rural area. As energy costs rise, and economic instability and unemployment continues, The Local Fresh Food Alliance of gardeners are offering their skills to support a secure supply of nutritious local food for everyone in our community. We are told that 1 in 8 residents of PA and 1 in 5 children in the US has inadequate nutrition (see Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman dialogue.) The Demonstration Garden and The Green Shop are activities of the Alliance. Low-income people will be employed to work in gardening, production, and the Shop.

Our appreciation to Katherine for plants, Chuck, John, and Bob for materials, tools and knowledge, Bob for trucking compost, Robert for preparing the site and printing fliers, Deb for plants and organization, Bill, Will, Mike, Josh, Bill, Ed and Mary for contributing, all the other encouraging friends who stopped by, the life forms our garden replaces, the plants themselves, the tools and materials, those whose knowledge of gardening that we use,…

…and particularly to those who will continue to water and enjoy the garden, green and beautiful! Please pick outside leaves of lettuce etc. to allow the plants to continue growing.

“How to Make and Grow a Raised-Bed Garden” is posted here in printable form. To read this flier, please click on it once, and then again when it opens in your browser. Thank you!

† The Green Shop is a market for the community to buy and sell their produce, plants, flowers, baked goods, crafts, products of Youth Entrepreneurs, and yard sale items. Surplus fresh food will be donated to local food pantries and soup kitchens. Vendors wanted!