Sowing Seeds of Cooperation Community Garden to Supply Food Bank Needs
By: Katie Jackson
Sometimes just a little plot of land can have an impact on an entire community. Take, for example, a five-acre plot of soil off Woodfield Drive in Auburn, where community service and support are growing by leaps and bounds.
That piece of land, which once was home to the CoAg corn maze and, more recently, a pumpkin patch, is now the Community Garden, a joint project designed to enhance the food supply of low-income people by providing fresh, locally grown produce. On land provided by the College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, volunteers have planted pole beans, squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, okra and cucumbers and have plans to add sweet potatoes and cantaloupes before the summer is done.
The project is spearheaded by the Food Bank of East Alabama, which will distribute the produce to people in need through emergency food pantries, senior centers, day care centers and other member agencies served by the Food Bank.
The idea of a community food bank garden is not necessarily new. Julie Herbert, volunteer coordinator for the garden, noted that Huntsville has a similar garden that has been in production for some 15 years. But the idea is new to the Auburn area.
"The garden provides an opportunity for people in the local community to be involved in volunteer work and 'get their hands dirty' while learning about gardening and helping those in need," says Herbert. "The garden also serves as a model for local home gardeners to feed the hungry with the surplus produce from their gardens."
Partners in the project are the College of Agriculture, the AAES, the Lee County Extension System, the Lee County Master Gardeners, the Soref Foundation, Bonnie Plant Farm and local churches and civic clubs.
Volunteers will run the garden and people from all walks of life are invited to help. Work will include maintenance of the garden, harvesting produce, delivering the produce to the Food Bank, cleaning up in the garden and assisting Herbert with volunteer groups.
Jason Burkett, superintendent of the E.V. Smith Horticulture Unit, and Glenn Terrell and others in the AAES Land and Facilities Management division helped install the beds and other facilities needed for the garden. Bonnie Plant Farms donated plants, and members of Auburn's Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and the Food Bank staff have been helping plant the seeds and transplants.
"All the seed is planted and it's all coming up, and we have lots of tomatoes on the vine," said Herbert. The next step will be to start weeding and harvesting the produce once it ripens.
If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about the garden, contact Herbert at 334-826-0781 or at jblilypad@aol.com; Dani Carroll, Community Garden manager, at carrodl@auburn.edu; or the Food Bank at 334-821-9006 or www.foodbankofeastalabama.com.