Yeah Team!!!
By Pat Kent
What a summer!
The Charlestown Community Garden has surpassed all previous harvests. Year to date, the garden has harvested 5,000+
lbs. (2.5 tons) of nutrient dense organic vegetables
and the fall crops are sure to continue to increase the bounty.
All produce is
donated to local food banks, which include Jonnycake Center of Westerly, the WARM
Center in Westerly, Meals on Wheels, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Food Pantry in
Charlestown and the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center in CT.
Additionally,
meals are supplemented with produce at the Charlestown Community/Senior Center
during their popular lunch service. The produce includes typical summer and
fall vegetables such as, tomatoes, eggplant, green beans and others, along with
plants that keep on giving such as kale, swiss chard and collard greens.
Four years ago,
the Charlestown Community Garden was initiated as an Eagle Scout project by now
Eagle Scout, Chris Hacunda, with the help of Parks and Recreation Director, Jay
Primiano.
The small farm
is located in Ninigret Park, Charlestown on a 15,000 sq. foot parcel of
land. The first volunteers were local
residents, Susie Fehrmann, now Executive Director, and quickly followed by
Jonnycake Volunteer Coordinator, Steve Symonds; both are on the garden Board of
Directors.
Volunteers
continue to increase in numbers yearly bringing brawn and expertise to the
community atmosphere generated at the garden.
Caleb, the
youngest volunteer this year, is six and came with his sister, Kathryn 9,
brother, David 12 and Mother. Our oldest volunteer, Roger, is 81 who works
vigorously following his routine of attending the Recreation Department’s yoga
class offered at the Charlestown Community Center.
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| Penny Guiliani picks cucumbers |
On our best day
this summer, the garden participation peaked with 23 volunteers while last week
we had ten folks helping to harvest vegetables in the rain. This number varies on harvest days which are weekly,
Tues. & Thurs. 9am-12noon. This year, volunteers came from as far north as
Warwick, Rhode Island and some of the other surrounding towns of Westerly,
Ashaway, Matunuck, Watch Hill via NYC, CT and Charlestown.
Volunteers are
the heart of the garden and without them we would not be able to accomplish all
we do. They come to the garden for a
variety of reasons which include exercise, a love of gardening, a desire to
learn about gardening and the most important reason, to help their neighbors in
need.
Many volunteers
are retired. Others are on summer
vacation from school or currently unemployed.
The first
question volunteers ask is “What can I do?” On any given day, men, women and
children are planting, harvesting, replanting, sifting compost, harvesting worm
castings, weeding and distributing food.
This important work provides volunteers with great personal
satisfaction.
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| Marty Flynn shows off just some of the tomatoes |
Progress is a
key ingredient to a successful garden.
In the beginning of this season, volunteers removed the last of the
sprinkler devices replacing with the newly installed drip-irrigation system.
The Blue
Cross/Blue Shield Corporation donated fencing and labor to replace the original
deer fencing. This grant was obtained by SRIV (Southern Rhode Island
Volunteers) on behalf of the garden.
Each year
Luckyfoot Ranch of N. Kingston rototills the soil and then the winter rye crop
is planted to replace depleted nitrogen in the soil. Generous members of the
public have donated tools and other farm implements which often were slated for
garage sale tables.
Many of our
plants and seeds come from the URI Master Gardener Outreach Program and from
locals who provide extra seedlings.
The Town of
Charlestown was the Garden’s original fiscal sponsor and now leases the land to
the Jonnycake Center of Westerly who has become the fiscal sponsor for the
garden. Without the energy of Chris Hacunda, the foresight of Jay Primiano and
the support of the Town of Charlestown, none of the benefits of community farm
assistance would have happened. Thanks
to all who have sought to help so many people in need.
We rely upon
donations from the public to purchase supplies needed for the growth and
maintenance of the garden. If you would
like to donate, please send your tax deductible check to the Jonnycake Center,
23 Industrial Road, Westerly, RI 02891.
Please write Charlestown
Community Garden on the memo line.
The Charlestown
Community Garden will have a table at the Swamp Yankee Days on Sat., Oct. 11th
and Sun., Oct. 12th.
If you have
questions about our garden or gardening, such as putting your garden to bed for
the winter or improving your soil, please stop by and visit.
Otherwise, you
may visit us at the garden any Tues. or Thurs. from 9am-12noon, located at 100
Park Lane in beautiful Ninigret Park, Rte. 1A, next to the Community
Center. As you enter Ninigret which is
diagonally across the street from the Charlestown Police Department, follows
the signs.
You can also
visit us on Facebook – click
here.
