Shared courtesy of the self-described “Garden Ogre” –
| Subject: A community garden story you will want to read, and what you can do with all the extra zucchini in your garden |
Hi, everyone,
The attached photos shows the ‘before’ and final transformation of plot 48B that, just a week ago, had become unusable. While this photo shows four individuals (Galyna Kryvanch, Cathy Summa, Jane Cobb, and Betty Sanders) at work, I am reliably told more than 20 gardeners pitched in over the course of seven days. We should all stand up and take a bow. This is what a Community Garden is supposed to be about.
Some stories, though, have terrific plot twists, and this is one of those. On Friday, I heard from the gardener on whose behalf the work on 48B was being done: even with the reclamation, she would be unable to continue for this season. That same day, though, I also received an email from one of our gardeners wondering if surplus vegetables might be collected for a group of two dozen food-insecure international students remaining on campus this summer at Wellesley College. As the Medfield Food Cupboard is unable (because of Covid-19 restrictions) to accept donations of fresh produce, I said that not only could we put out bins bi-weekly for such a food drive, but we would also devote plot 48B to the effort.
This morning brought the final plot twist. As volunteers were putting the final touches on the garden, yet another of our members came by to help out. When she heard about the Wellesley College students, she said she had just been made aware of a similar number of international students at Babson College who also face food insecurity until classes begin in September. Then, half an hour later, Heidi Grof, who has long coordinated the Community Garden drive for the Medfield Food Cupboard, also dropped by and said, yes, the Food Cupboard bins are all available and will be in place for our use.
So, this coming Thursday, and every alternate Thursday until the end of the season, you’ll see bins and wheelbarrows at the front of the garden from 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.. Please contribute your garden’s surplus (as in the past, bagged or boxed) to this effort. And, know that Plot 48B is going to be devoted to that very good cause.
It is events like these that make being a garden ogre a proud occupation.
Neal Sanders Garden Ogre
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