Sowing the Seeds to Feed Families in Need
Why was this project needed?
The Urban Ministries Food Pantry serves over 8,000 families and 9,000 children each year. With donated food and minimally purchased food from the Food Bank of North Carolina, our clients receive a week’s worth of groceries to sustain their family’s food needs. While all donations are appreciated and go to excellent use, donations of fresh produce are limited or often, not received. With the fresh produce harvested from our garden, we hope to enhance the intake of vegetables and fruits among our clients on a more consistent basis. The US Department of Health recommends that individuals consume 2-4 servings of fruits and 2-3 servings of vegetables every day.
Additionally we see the opportunity to link the patients treated at the Open Door Clinic to the advantages of better nutrition through our gardening initiative.
What is the project plan?
Several workdays have been planned over the summer to install 5 beds here on the grounds of our headquarters. Initially we will plant a fall garden-planting mostly lettuces, kale, onion, beets, broccoli, squash, asparagus, and collards. Following the full harvest of the fall garden we will begin prepping the land for the winter season and the spring garden, planting again in early February carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, turnip, onion, peas and spinach followed by further planting in April of red peppers, squash, tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers. The summer garden will consist of beans, tomatoes, okra, and egg plant.
We will be composting with dry materials from the garden and wet materials from within the building (employees’ food wastes) and will sustain organic matter and longevity of resources by not having to purchase as much compost year to year. A Volunteer Garden Coordinator will be proactive in managing all areas of concern and work to yield as much produce as possible. In the long term, the goal of having a cistern put into place for water fall off and gravitation irrigation is in place.
Individual and group donors as well as accepted grants-applied for on behalf of the Urban Ministries of Wake County Development Team will ensure the financial means to sustain the soil, seeds and irrigation from season to season.
Expected yield?
The expected yield will vary from season to season, depending on care, soils, pests and cultivation. However, a slight prediction can be made using these graphs, drawn from various sources, this website included: http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/mipmcot9407.pdf. However, vegetable crop yields will vary on garden, weather, and will change year to year. Our beds are 4×12 feet, giving us 448 sq. ft. of growing soil; at 5 beds that makes it 240 sq. ft. total growing soil.
How will volunteers be involved?
Like most areas of Urban Ministries of Wake County, the Community Garden will be a volunteer-fueled project.
Volunteer Garden Team: 10-12 individuals who will maintain and harvest the garden
Volunteer Garden Coordinator: Coordinate Garden Team, Ensure the garden is healthy and is prepared for the next harvest, next work day, next season
Volunteer Master Gardener: Visits once a month on a work day to host a 15 minute educational highlight on gardening
Volunteer Garden Survey/Research Team: Conduct client surveys in order to track the success of the garden and to ensure continued support due to those results
How the project with impact children?
The yield will help to feed children healthy snacks. Vegetables and fruits, when in household, are accessible to children and require no real preparation. This project will also enable children to see how to sustain good health on your own, with little money, at your own home. By seeing the example of the community garden, clients that have land access, even if it is little, can see how to grow their own produce at home. Gardening is easy and simple for all ages, primarily, children can help to harvest the hard to reach vegetables and a family unit can spend time together gardening. Once a month, we will have a children’s work day, inviting children of patients and clients to come to the garden to work and harvest. They will have a learning moment geared for their age levels, and will leave with garden-related fun activities and a small bag of fresh produce with kid-friendly recipes inside.
