http://www.youtube.com/watch?
It WILL be good!
Thanks Cat Newsome for putting it together!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Amazing new garden video!
Check out our new video shot on location with actual garden members (not actors:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
It WILL be good!
Thanks Cat Newsome for putting it together!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
It WILL be good!
Thanks Cat Newsome for putting it together!
What is growing in our garden this month?
Greetings Gardeners!
Our garden is growing and filled with an abundance of God’s
Goodness! Despite the heated temps, our
spring veggies are still prospering to include plenty of spring mix, Romaine
lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and radishes.
We have begun harvesting our garlic and turnips and soon to be sugar
snap peas and beets. Our potatoes are
doing great along with recently planted Chinese cabbage, leeks, celery,
peanuts, Swiss chard, basil, tomatoes, flowers, and popcorn with our melons and
squashes to be transplanted to the garden soon.
Our Food and Faith Bible study which began and concluded this past
month provided many blessings to all who attended as we nurtured our minds,
hearts, and bodies with God’s wisdom, food, and fellowship. Many thanks to Daniel as he helped us to be
ever so thankful to God for all He provides to include our garden in harvesting
food for many and planting the desire to work and take care of His creation
through the watering of His love to our community.
Mark your
calendars for Saturday, May 19th to attend the Wellness of Chatham Health Fair
at the Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park in Pittsboro. The event runs from 11am-2pm… a day filled with lots of family fun as
we join other groups/businesses in reaching out to many in healthy lifestyle
and food awareness.
Our Mother’s Day Flower Sale will be on Saturday May 11th
as well as on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May12th. An assortment of lovely 4”potted
plants wrapped and with cards will be available for purchase at the garden on
Saturday and in the Concord Café on Sunday. The suggested donation is $5.00
each. Pre-orders are welcomed! Thank you everyone for your continued support
towards our garden!
Come grow with us…It WILL be good!
-Donna Poe
Garden Coordinator
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Because of Him, it WILL be good!
Hey everyone!
Hoping the rain on Saturday came as a blessing to all of you in possibly needed rest and catching up on indoor activities (I am now caught up and ahead in my school work AND the house is clean!)
This week, we will have extended garden hours 5-dark on Tuesday and Wednesday to get caught up and ahead of our plantings AND to finish cleaning up the beds and walkways. We will be working on planting our potatoes (finally!), along with some more onions, carrots, and spring mix. Children are invited to plant with their parents their seeds of Easter egg radishes and purple carrots! We will be harvesting more kale, some spinach, scallions, a few sprigs of asparagus, herbs, eggs, and a special treat for our kidz!
In reverence to our Lord and the events leading up to His crucifixion, we will not be working in the garden on Thursday or Saturday. The garden will, however, be open from 8-10am on Saturday for anyone wanting to spend some time in silence and prayer. We will have chairs set up around the prayer garden on the West side of the garden and on the East side around the cross. Please also consider visiting the Stations of the Cross inside the sanctuary which is a series of images with scripture readings regarding the events of our Lord's journey to His death.
Hoping many of you can join us Tuesday and/or Wednesday and I pray you will consider spending some time on Saturday morning with our Lord in His garden.
Because of His love and sacrifice for all of us, it WILL be good!
Hoping the rain on Saturday came as a blessing to all of you in possibly needed rest and catching up on indoor activities (I am now caught up and ahead in my school work AND the house is clean!)
This week, we will have extended garden hours 5-dark on Tuesday and Wednesday to get caught up and ahead of our plantings AND to finish cleaning up the beds and walkways. We will be working on planting our potatoes (finally!), along with some more onions, carrots, and spring mix. Children are invited to plant with their parents their seeds of Easter egg radishes and purple carrots! We will be harvesting more kale, some spinach, scallions, a few sprigs of asparagus, herbs, eggs, and a special treat for our kidz!
In reverence to our Lord and the events leading up to His crucifixion, we will not be working in the garden on Thursday or Saturday. The garden will, however, be open from 8-10am on Saturday for anyone wanting to spend some time in silence and prayer. We will have chairs set up around the prayer garden on the West side of the garden and on the East side around the cross. Please also consider visiting the Stations of the Cross inside the sanctuary which is a series of images with scripture readings regarding the events of our Lord's journey to His death.
Hoping many of you can join us Tuesday and/or Wednesday and I pray you will consider spending some time on Saturday morning with our Lord in His garden.
Because of His love and sacrifice for all of us, it WILL be good!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Showers of April blessings…
Hi everyone.
The presence of our Lord is warming the hearts of many as we are enjoying this glorious spring (almost summer!) weather and new growth in the garden and membership! . Over the past month, our garden woke up twice along with 8 new garden families joining, many renewals, and lotz of kidz! We were also blessed with several garden angels that enable all who want to garden with us (and need a little help with the membership fee) to do so. Thank you to all!
Our overwintered fall kale is still providing many harvests along with some herbs and early planted spinach. The garlic and strawberries are looking great and we have enjoyed a few sprigs of asparagus. Also planted for spring are several beds of spring mix, onions, carrots, romaine lettuce, beets, turnips, sugar snap peas, radishes, and broccoli. We have several summer veggies being pampered in the greenhouse to include lots of tomatoes, basil, Chinese cabbage, leeks, and celery. Next up to be planted are the potatoes, Swiss chard, flower seeds in the butterfly garden, eggplant, and peppers. Later in the month, we look forward to seeding more flowers, cantaloupe, zucchini, yellow squash, popcorn, and peanuts!
Out of the garden this month, we are excited to begin our Food and Faith Bible study led by Daniel Corpening on Wednesdays for three weeks (4/11, 4/18, 4/42) at 6pm as we enjoy good food (soup/salad), fellowship, and the study of God’s Word as it pertains to our obedience in healthy eating and the sharing of food to others. Mark your calendars for next month to attend the Wellness of Chatham Health Fair in Pittsboro on 5/19th. It will be a day filled with lots of family fun as we join other groups/businesses in reaching out to many in healthy lifestyle and food awareness. More info to follow.
Next month we will also be having our Mother’s Day Flower Sale from 3/5 – 3/13. Thank you everyone for your past support of this fundraiser along with our ongoing garden sales (t-shirts, notecards, etc.). The garden is funded thru donations only to include these two fundraisers, garden membership fees, and our garden angels who provide many blessings in plantings of supplies and members as well. If you are not already, please prayerfully consider joining our garden or becoming a garden angel to help us work and take care of God’s creation while sharing the love of Christ with many!
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow…The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor”. (1 Corinthians 3:6,8)
It WILL be good!
-Donna Poe
Garden Coordinator
The presence of our Lord is warming the hearts of many as we are enjoying this glorious spring (almost summer!) weather and new growth in the garden and membership! . Over the past month, our garden woke up twice along with 8 new garden families joining, many renewals, and lotz of kidz! We were also blessed with several garden angels that enable all who want to garden with us (and need a little help with the membership fee) to do so. Thank you to all!
Our overwintered fall kale is still providing many harvests along with some herbs and early planted spinach. The garlic and strawberries are looking great and we have enjoyed a few sprigs of asparagus. Also planted for spring are several beds of spring mix, onions, carrots, romaine lettuce, beets, turnips, sugar snap peas, radishes, and broccoli. We have several summer veggies being pampered in the greenhouse to include lots of tomatoes, basil, Chinese cabbage, leeks, and celery. Next up to be planted are the potatoes, Swiss chard, flower seeds in the butterfly garden, eggplant, and peppers. Later in the month, we look forward to seeding more flowers, cantaloupe, zucchini, yellow squash, popcorn, and peanuts!
Out of the garden this month, we are excited to begin our Food and Faith Bible study led by Daniel Corpening on Wednesdays for three weeks (4/11, 4/18, 4/42) at 6pm as we enjoy good food (soup/salad), fellowship, and the study of God’s Word as it pertains to our obedience in healthy eating and the sharing of food to others. Mark your calendars for next month to attend the Wellness of Chatham Health Fair in Pittsboro on 5/19th. It will be a day filled with lots of family fun as we join other groups/businesses in reaching out to many in healthy lifestyle and food awareness. More info to follow.
Next month we will also be having our Mother’s Day Flower Sale from 3/5 – 3/13. Thank you everyone for your past support of this fundraiser along with our ongoing garden sales (t-shirts, notecards, etc.). The garden is funded thru donations only to include these two fundraisers, garden membership fees, and our garden angels who provide many blessings in plantings of supplies and members as well. If you are not already, please prayerfully consider joining our garden or becoming a garden angel to help us work and take care of God’s creation while sharing the love of Christ with many!
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow…The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor”. (1 Corinthians 3:6,8)
It WILL be good!
-Donna Poe
Garden Coordinator
Friday, March 2, 2012
Wake up, wake up, wake up!
Hey everyone. It is truly “thyme” to wake up the garden (has it really slept with this crazy weather we have been experiencing?). The alarm is set for this Saturday, 3/3 at 10 am –Noon with the snooze delay (encore opening) set for the following Saturday, 3/10, same time. Lots of fun activities “planted” to include door prizes, healthy snacks, seed sharing, Kidz Thyme, and yes..plenty of gardening!
New membership applications will be available for renewals and hopefully many new garden members. The commitment and fees have remained the same..$10 per family per season or $25 per year (March-Nov) plus a one hour commitment (per adult) of working in the garden each week. If you desire to work in the garden and need financial assistance, we have garden angels that would be happy to bless you with a garden membership. If you do not desire to work in the garden, but feel led to help others that do, please consider a garden angel membership with a donation of $50.00 that will help with many plantings!
As mentioned last month, our work nights are changing to Tues/Thurs 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 9-Noon. Kidz Thyme will be on Thursday nights beginning 3/16 from 6-7pm (reminder..preview this Saturday and next during the “wakeup”! Debbie Cook and Amy Hoffmeier are co-leading our Jr. Gardener’s this year with lots of fun activities planned to include the kidz planting a “pizza garden”!
Our pre-wake up activities have been incredible over the past 3 weeks as we have prepared and cleaned up beds for spring plantings, planted peas, and many starts in trays (beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, spinach, romaine, and celery!)
Backing up a bit…our presence at the 2nd annual “Christmas Cheer Chocolate Festival” last month at Holly Hill Mall was REALLY good! So amazing how many folks filled up their purchased ticket by selecting our garden chocolates! Thank you everyone for your help in baking and serving our chocolate treats while serving and glorifying our God!
Looking forward to growing with all of you as we plant many fruits in the garden this year to include an abundance of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness ,and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)…Thank you everyone for your continued support and prayers. It WILL be good!
-Donna Poe
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Many CHEERS for the 2nd Annual Christmas Cheer Chocolate Festival!
It was a day full of many sweet blessings as we shared our samples of chocolate treats made with vegetables and fruits (and eggs whites!) that we harvest in our garden. Egg white cookies, white chocolate blueberry bark, double chocolate zucchini nut cookies, pumpkin swirl brownies, sweet potato brownies, mint fudge, potato fudge, sweet potato brownies, strawberry/blueberry cupcakes, beet cupcakes, chocolate pecan toffee, apple chocolate cake, and the “cherry” on top was the chocolate dipped strawberries!
Many thanks to all the chocolate lovers that came out to support Christmas Cheer along with our bakers and chocolatiers for the Garden of Concord! One of the most asked about recipes was the Potato Fudge listed below with a few of the other favs to be shared shortly. Mark your calendar for the garden’s awakening on March 3 (and 10th!). It WILL be SWEET!
Potato Fudge (De-lish..thanks Jenn!)
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup mashed potatoes
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1lb powdered sugar
Melt chocolate and butter together. Add potatoes, salt and vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. As it gets harder to incorporate sugar with a spoon, butter hands and knead in the rest of the sugar by hand. Continue kneading until smooth and glossy. Spread into 8x8 square pan and Cut into squares when cool or roll into balls. Top with a nut if you'd like.
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (thanks Cat and Betty Crocker!)
Blueberry Bark
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
12 oz white chocolate morsels
Dried blueberries (Trader Joe's has some great ones)
Preheat oven to 350. Place crackers in one layer on parchment-lined baking sheet (with sides). Melt butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan stirring for 3 minutes constantly. Pour butter-sugar mixture over the crackers, spreading evenly and then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with white chocolate morsels. When they start to melt, spread evenly over entire layer of crackers. Sprinkle dried blueberries on top and re-spread chocolate a little bit to coat blueberries. Refrigerate 1 hour and then crack into pieces.
Chocolate Beet Cupcakes (Beets are the only vegetable that I truly dislike..but I LOVE these cupcakes! Thank you Shirley!)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups cooked beets, pureed (2 cans 15 oz each drained)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to375 degrees F. Soften butter. Cream together ¾ cup of the butter with the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Combine chocolate with remaining butter and melt in the microwave at15-second intervals. Allow to cool slightly and add to egg mixture. Add beets and vanilla and mix well. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add to large bowl and mix well. Pour into paper lined cupcake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar or top with your favorite frosting.
It WILLbe good!
It WILL be good!
Hi everyone.
I remember often the day I went to “just take notes” at a workshop on community gardening. I remember the trip that was planned to go visit my sister in VA that weekend and the recent death of a beloved Concord church member. I remember wishing I had been a member sooner so that I would have met Miriam Dean. I remember hearing all the heartwarming and wonderful stories about her from her family and church family. I remember hearing about the upcoming workshop and that a refund for attendance was submitted because our Pastor would be presiding at the funeral on that day. I remember this tugging of my heart wishing that I could somehow go to that workshop but not wanting to disappoint my family. Where was this feeling coming from? I didn’t know how to garden really…mostly weeding my husband’s garden..dabbled with some lettuce and marigolds. Organic growing? What was that all about? I remember the elation when the trip plans changed. I remember immediately emailing Pastor David to see if I could go in his place and “just take notes”. I remember the constant fluttering of my heart as I took LOTS of notes while touring Anatoth Community Garden and learning all the ways that we could reach out to many by sharing, working, and taking care of God’s creation. I think what I most remember though is an overwhelming feeling, a silent voice (wasn’t sure then, but I now know who the voice belonged to )that kept saying to me… “it WILL be good!”
As we begin our fourth year of The Garden of Concord, I am continually amazed at the love and support that our Concord UMC church family and the community of Eli Whitney have shown through prayers, donations, and time spent in the garden. God has blessed our community with the knowledge of how to be good stewards of His creation by sharing His love to many through the planting of seeds of faith and watching them grow. The fruits of the harvest have nurtured the hearts and health of many through learning organic growing practices, food awareness, and new friendships, along with connecting our food to our faith.
This year, we are excited to join together again in food and fellowship at our favorite gatherings to include our First Fruits Luncheon, Tomato Sandwich Supper, Harvest Celebration Dinner, and Final Fruits Luncheon. We also resume our weekly Kidz Thyme program, summer weekly water fun nights, and Garden Gritz. Our work nights are changing to Tues/Thurs 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 9-Noon.
We have lots of new ideas planted to include a brick pizza oven and picnic shelter (Eagle Scout projects!), Bed Blessing donations, First Fruit Fridays and Sample Saturdays, and also working on our next summer series. A Food and Faith three week Bible study is planned for April to be led by Daniel Corpening, our garden intern, which will culminate with our annual “Blessing of the Garden of Concord” joined by Crosswave! We will be providing more details for all of these plantings in succession!
We officially “Wake up the garden” on March 3 with an encore presentation (snooze alarm!) on 3/10th and have tentative plans to co-host a public movie screening of “Fresh the Movie” at the Saxapahaw Ballroom on March 9th. Again, more details to follow as these plantings grow!
As you can see, I am really excited at all the plans and plantings God has in store for us in our garden and community. I thank you again, Concord UMC for your many blessings. It WILL be good!
-Donna
Hi everyone.
I remember often the day I went to “just take notes” at a workshop on community gardening. I remember the trip that was planned to go visit my sister in VA that weekend and the recent death of a beloved Concord church member. I remember wishing I had been a member sooner so that I would have met Miriam Dean. I remember hearing all the heartwarming and wonderful stories about her from her family and church family. I remember hearing about the upcoming workshop and that a refund for attendance was submitted because our Pastor would be presiding at the funeral on that day. I remember this tugging of my heart wishing that I could somehow go to that workshop but not wanting to disappoint my family. Where was this feeling coming from? I didn’t know how to garden really…mostly weeding my husband’s garden..dabbled with some lettuce and marigolds. Organic growing? What was that all about? I remember the elation when the trip plans changed. I remember immediately emailing Pastor David to see if I could go in his place and “just take notes”. I remember the constant fluttering of my heart as I took LOTS of notes while touring Anatoth Community Garden and learning all the ways that we could reach out to many by sharing, working, and taking care of God’s creation. I think what I most remember though is an overwhelming feeling, a silent voice (wasn’t sure then, but I now know who the voice belonged to )that kept saying to me… “it WILL be good!”
As we begin our fourth year of The Garden of Concord, I am continually amazed at the love and support that our Concord UMC church family and the community of Eli Whitney have shown through prayers, donations, and time spent in the garden. God has blessed our community with the knowledge of how to be good stewards of His creation by sharing His love to many through the planting of seeds of faith and watching them grow. The fruits of the harvest have nurtured the hearts and health of many through learning organic growing practices, food awareness, and new friendships, along with connecting our food to our faith.
This year, we are excited to join together again in food and fellowship at our favorite gatherings to include our First Fruits Luncheon, Tomato Sandwich Supper, Harvest Celebration Dinner, and Final Fruits Luncheon. We also resume our weekly Kidz Thyme program, summer weekly water fun nights, and Garden Gritz. Our work nights are changing to Tues/Thurs 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 9-Noon.
We have lots of new ideas planted to include a brick pizza oven and picnic shelter (Eagle Scout projects!), Bed Blessing donations, First Fruit Fridays and Sample Saturdays, and also working on our next summer series. A Food and Faith three week Bible study is planned for April to be led by Daniel Corpening, our garden intern, which will culminate with our annual “Blessing of the Garden of Concord” joined by Crosswave! We will be providing more details for all of these plantings in succession!
We officially “Wake up the garden” on March 3 with an encore presentation (snooze alarm!) on 3/10th and have tentative plans to co-host a public movie screening of “Fresh the Movie” at the Saxapahaw Ballroom on March 9th. Again, more details to follow as these plantings grow!
As you can see, I am really excited at all the plans and plantings God has in store for us in our garden and community. I thank you again, Concord UMC for your many blessings. It WILL be good!
-Donna
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