Published: September 26, 2009 04:09 pm      

Goodness grows

We know, it’s just September. Corn and beans remain in the fields, and many gardeners still are picking ripe tomatoes each day.

But volunteers working the Community Garden near Ivy Tech Community College already have harvested 14,015 pounds of fresh vegetables since July. Pounds and pounds of green beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumbers, kale, kohlrabi, onions, bell peppers, acorn squash, butternut squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes and zucchini have been distributed to community kitchens and residential centers.

Barbara Hight, who managed the kitchen at Open Arms Women’s Shelter at the time, told us in 2007 that the produce from the Community Garden means the women and children get fresh vegetables at lunch and dinner.

“They really enjoy the fresh green beans and the corn on the cob,” she said. “With the donation, we are able to provide a healthy meal.”

The Community Garden was started in the spring of 2003 as a pilot program between Ivy Tech, Purdue University-Howard County Extension and Purdue Master Gardeners from the Howard County Master Gardeners Association. It was designed to supply fresh produce to the community’s hungry and serve as a live laboratory for free public seminars in vegetable gardening.

In 2003, volunteers harvested 4,744 pounds. Last year, the total was 15,989 pounds – all on 1 acre of donated land with donated labor. So far this year, volunteers have donated 1,267 hours of their time.

Thanks, volunteers, for your time and hard work. The folks at Coordinating Assistance Ministry, Gilead House, Howard Haven, Open Arms Women’s Shelter, Rescue Mission and many other agencies thank you, as well.