Report: Seedtime Celebration

The Friends in Commons blog serves as a chronicle of Katie’s Commons.  The Commons was conceived as a pantry garden, planted, tended and harvested by community volunteers, to supply Stone Soup Food Pantry and our neighbors with fresh produce.  It has grown to include educational, hospitality and beautification goals in its mission. Below is a recent report sent to those on the Katie’s Commons email list.  It summarizes pretty well what has been going on since the last blog post.

Greetings Commoners,

Last night (May 28) as we blessed seed, soil and water in the midst of a blessed rain shower we celebrated Seedtime in the Commons.  Despite the wet weather, underneath the Gloria Dei picnic shelter burgers and hot dogs were grilled and delicious salads and deserts served.  Twenty-four folks were in attendance, representing many of the Commons' constituencies: Trinity Church, Mulberry Methodist, Glroia Dei, neighbors, food pantry patrons and IMPACT  families.  (IMPACT is the Mulberry after school program). We finished the evening (in the GDLC social hall, it was getting pretty cool following the rain) with a great concert by Jay Brooks.  We also learned that Pastor Phil "Gabriel" Whisler can provide pretty good "fake trumpet" backup for Neil Diamond and Elvis songs.  The entire evening was made possible because of work of a number of volunteers coming together for the common good.  Thank you, everyone.

All this follows an exciting couple of weeks.  We delivered our first produce, radishes and lettuce, to the Stone Soup Food Pantry and the Cornerstone Food Pantry.  On Tuesday kids from IMPACT came to the garden to plant the green beans they started a few weeks ago.  We now have an entire bed dedicated to IMPACT's work and sharing.  We are down to two empty beds, which we will plant in the next week or so.  A larger "tomato bed" is being developed out of the stuck dump truck incident, or Crawford's Folly, about which we do not speak aloud.  I am sure a similar incident inspired the old saying, "When the world gives you ruts, make tomato beds."

Please come by the garden when you have a chance.  We have made sure that each bed contains a number of weeds for your picking enjoyment; dig in.  You are welcome.

Peace,

Mike