Preparing for winter

With a 'V' of geese flying overhead and the sun setting in the west, this knuckle of folks pulled withered tomato vines and sad-looking pansies. We left some kale, a bed of lettuce, and a little cilantro that might make it through a few more frosts, but mostly the garden is ready for a rest until April.

Last week--thanks to everyone--we nosed over a thousand pounds of produce that was harvested and donated to Neighborhood House!

Fall Friday Fresh

It was fun harvesting peppers, Chinese broccoli, and other leafy plants this cool, fall morning. My hands still smell like cilantro. The garden is breathing in the chilly night air and the cold-loving plants are happy. Runners on Summit Avenue have switched from tees and shorts to hoodies and sweats, but they still pause in front of the garden to pick our sweet strawberries.

Go big green!

807!
We are not done harvesting, but as of September 19, we've donated 807 pounds to the food shelf. Thank you planters, pickers, deliverers, and partners.

Evening garden

Next week it is supposed to frost. Many of the squash have been cut and tomato production is coming to a close. We are having a great year.

Shots taken the evening of September 13 in the garden


We couldn't have done it without our volunteers and quality seeds and transplants from Johnny's Select Seeds; the University of Minnesota's student garden, Cornercopia; and, Friend School of Minnesota's Plant Sale. We greatly appreciate the support we've received from House of Hope congregation, staff, and lay leadership, and we can't forget to tip our hats to the irrigation!

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes

We happily get help from volunteers of all ages.

 Sometimes with smaller hands, keener eyes, and a willing spirit, we reach into those tight spots, and discover hidden treasures...

...other times it's just plain strong backs!

Aromatics

Harvesting first thing in the morning is the best! I hardly knew where to begin until I saw a whale-like cucumber lurking below the vines. Tomatoes were literally dropping into my hands, and within the hour I had harvested several bags of peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, chard, and Chinese broccoli. A fifty-pound morning was pretty good for the two hours I worked.

Cutting the sage and thyme was the highlight. Perfume filled the air as the scissors sliced away.

August Harvest

Today (Tuesday) we dropped off 73 pounds of produce at the food shelf, resulting in a grand total of 556 pounds of fresh veggies so far for the 2012 growing season! I thought, since the tomatoes were so beautiful this morning--no offense to the peck of tomatillos or peppers--that we should offer up a poem.

Ode to Tomatoes

by Pablo Neruda (Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden)

The street
filled with tomatoes,
midday,
summer,
light is
halved
like
a
tomato,
its juice
runs
through the streets.
In December,
unabated,
the tomato
invades
the kitchen,
it enters at lunchtime,
takes
its ease
on countertops,
among glasses,
butter dishes,
blue saltcellars.
It sheds
its own light,
benign majesty.
Unfortunately, we must
murder it:
the knife
sinks
into living flesh,
red
viscera,
a cool
sun,
profound,
inexhaustible,
populates the salads
of Chile,
happily, it is wed
to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we
pour
oil,
essential
child of the olive,
onto its halved hemispheres,
pepper
adds
its fragrance,
salt, its magnetism;
it is the wedding
of the day,
parsley
hoists
its flag,
potatoes
bubble vigorously,
the aroma
of the roast
knocks
at the door,
it’s time!
come on!
and, on
the table, at the midpoint
of summer,
the tomato,
star of earth,
recurrent
and fertile
star,
displays
its convolutions,
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness.

-from Odas elementales. © 1954

Why we grow...

Volunteering in the garden is a choice. I asked volunteers to share why they volunteer in the garden. Here are three of their responses. (They said I could share them.)

"I like to garden and do good at the same time!"

"I used to be very financially poor, so poor that one morning when my kids were little, I had nothing to feed them for breakfast but popcorn and a glass of water, and had to resort to asking a relative to buy me some groceries, which I found terribly shameful. God has lifted me up out of that situation and blessed me richly, and this is one small way of feeding those who need help as I once did. Plus, I see the miraculous glory of the Creator in every plant!"

"i needed to build up some good PR and Karma. My current job has a lot less community involvement than previous jobs and i was missing that. this seemed like a good way to fill some of my needs to help people. It also seemed like a good time to try new things."

Undocumented volunteers

We have served over 120 volunteer hours to garden maintenance and production since Thursday, May 17, 2012, according to the volunteer log. I know there are many of you who are undocumented volunteers, though. You stop by the garden on the way home from work or after church. You pull a stray weed or run a bag of onions and beets over to the food shelf. Thank you for making this garden possible. When one considers the value in produce and hours of effort, the church has donated thousands of dollars to the food shelf. Thank you!

Urban Farming Field Trip

This morning, folks from all around the Twin Cities--and as far away as Madison--visited three urban farms in Saint Paul. There is growing ferment around producing healthy foods right in the city. Some groups grow to make a living, others to revitalize neighborhoods, still others make farming a youth development activity. Magnificent, quiet things happening right under our noses.

Posted with Blogsy

Praise for roots and rooters

So, many thanks to all of our garden volunteers. You win the gold! We have harvested so much produce already this month. (I don't have the numbers at this moment, but I know August is going to be amazing.)

 

Posted with Blogsy

254 lbs of produce to Neighborhood House

Three cheers for us! As of August 3 we have donated 254 pounds of fresh, organic produce to the Neighborhood House Food Shelf (and we haven't even gotten to the heavy stuff yet). Good work all!

Squash pollinators

Flipping CSAs

I love CSAs. First, they are a great way for people to buy fresh, local food; and second, they are a vehicle that allows a community to support its local producers. Still, I find myself wanting to turn the CSA concept on its head. The flipped concept is, use agriculture to support the community.

The House of Hope Community Garden takes advantage of resources we have - a lot of space and hands - to grow produce that supports our community. Yes, we need more CSAs and a lot more ASCs.

Postscript: Anyone can donate produce to the food shelf.

Posted with Blogsy

amateur or volunteer?

When it comes to the garden, are you an amateur or a volunteer?
1. amateur. A person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. (from Dictionary.com)

3. volunteer. One who voluntarily offers her services in any capacity; one who of his own free will takes part in any enterprise. (from the OED)

I like the term amateur --someone who simply does something for the love of it.

Fresh Produce

This morning, we harvested 27 pounds of Swiss chard, Chinese broccoli, strawberries, rhubarb, cucumbers, eggplants, kale, and some lettuce. So far this summer, the House of Hope has contributed more that 167 pounds of produce to the food shelf.

Neighborhood House Food Shelf

The goal of the Neighborhood House Food Shelf is to provide food to those seeking assistance, and to connect them with critical community resources that help them move “from survive to thrive."

• Neighborhood House has the largest single-site food shelf in Ramsey County, distributing over 3,000 pounds of food daily to over 8,000 households annually; 50% of those served are children. 
• Of all food shelf participants, 90% live on incomes below the national poverty guideline, which includes a family of four earning $22,050 or less annually, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. 
• The Neighborhood House Food Shelf was named a Blue Ribbon Food Shelf by Hunger Solutions Minnesota, recognizing exceptional quality and service.

Hope Growing

The House of Hope Community Garden is a mission and outreach activity of the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Garden began last growing season (2011), and in its first year produced almost 1000 pounds of fresh produce, which was contributed to the Neighborhood House Food Shelf.