During
the last pantry days at Stone Soup Food Pantry we surveyed the patrons to
determine what they would like in their pantry garden. Seventeen surveys were completed representing
about 50 people. The top four picks were:
Tomatoes, Green Beans, Cucumbers, and Melons; all received more than 10
votes. We will make sure theses fruits
and veggies receive special priority in the garden. We also will have room for plants that
received fewer votes such as Lettuce, Carrots, and Lima Beans. In addition, we identified at least six more people
who are open to helping out in garden this coming season. Come on spring!
Friends
in Commons met on February 8th at Gloria Dei Church. The weather was somewhat kinder than in January
and 11 people came together to enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, sweet rolls and
conversation. Wonderful and diverse
ideas were shared about the garden, getting it going and what it will
mean. I came away with a growing
understanding that Katie’s Commons is so much more than a garden. It is indeed a Commonwealth, a group of
people building and nurturing community. Out of our meeting came the beginnings of a
mission statement: Katie’s Commons:
Sowing the seeds of community, food, knowledge, hospitality, and beauty. It seems that the Commons will have at least
three subsets: garden, education, and hospitality. Those who may not feel called to “serve and preserve”[1]
the land in the production of food may find a call in teaching or offering
hospitality to the community.
The next
gathering in the Commons will be on March 15th at 10:00 a.m. at the
Mulberry Public Library. Our theme is
tentatively entitled: Sharing Seed,
Stories and Zucchini Muffins. This
will be a chance for local gardeners to meet, learn about Katie’s Commons,
share saved or left over seed and trade stories and knowledge about gardening
in Mulberry. What seeds and practices work
in our neighborhood? What was less than successful? What might one do differently in the future?
I
confess that in many ways I am just “wingin’ it.” I realized there is much I do not know as I
cobbled together a budget that realistically represents to grantors what we hope
to do. In addition to the use of land, a
storage building and access to water given by Gloria Dei, a guess is that we
will need about $2200 to build beds, fill them with soil, buy tools, irrigation
equipment, etc. We have received several
generous cash donations which have given us the “seed” money to get things
rolling. In addition, to date the
Commons has applied for three grants. We
have received the gift of seed from Seed Savers Exchange. Two other applications, one with Kitchen Gardeners
International and one with Home Depot, are under consideration. We will probably hear from them in the next
six weeks or so. I intend to continue to
seek and apply for grants and gratefully welcome donations.
This is
such an exciting time. I am grateful for
the interest and support of so many people with whom I hold so much in Common.
[1] a perhaps more accurate and contextually
appropriate translation of Genesis 1:28.
See Scripture, Culture and Agriculture:
An Agrarian Reading of the Bible by Ellen Davis
