Garden
greetings! As we begin our fifth year in
the garden, I reflect on the many ways that God has blessed our community and
church and am so thankful to Him for His placing the desire in my heart as well
as to others to begin a community garden in Eli Whitney. The Garden of Concord has become a source of
fresh, local, sustainable grown food and friendships to its members as well as
to others in need through weekly donations to local food ministries such as
Loaves and Fishes. The garden has also
enabled many to “find healing and hope in the harvest” through the love of
Christ while working and taking care of God’s creation. Our members continually share their gratitude
for their being a part of the garden and the impact it has made in their
lives:
-“With this wonderful ministry,
you have introduced me to so many vegetables that I have never tried and new
ways to cook those that I have not liked in the past.”
-“Can
you imagine the difference it would make if every neighborhood had an organic
community garden? By teaching and promoting sustainable agriculture techniques such
as composting, no-till practices, crop rotation, companion planting, and cover
cropping, we can plant the seeds of change needed to care for God’s creation…His
people, planet, and animals. Life began in the garden!”
-What would be “work” if done alone is
transformed by the community of others!”
-“Thank you for creating the garden and letting us be part of it! The
kids really love it. They came home & cooked up some of the Swiss chard
with garlic. How fun to see them excited because if I got it at the grocery
store they wouldn't have taken any interest.”
Our first gathering for the year was this past Saturday at the 3rd annual Christmas Cheers Chocolate Festival in which our table was once again a fan favorite thanks to all the bakers and servers from our garden membership and church..thank you everyone! In just a few
short weeks, we “Wake Up” the garden on March 2nd and look forward
to a new season filled with God’s continued blessings of dedicated garden
members, prayerful support of our community and church, and abundant harvests
to feed many. We also pray for His
leading of new members to join our garden as well as to those who could help
support the garden financially with their donations. As a ministry of the church, the Garden of
Concord relies on donations to continue its plantings while feeding the needs
of our community physically and spiritually.
Our Saturday workdays are actually beginning THIS WEEKEND (2/9) at 11am as we dig in with prepping beds, some weeding, general cleanup, and even some harvesting! Our work nights this year will continue on Tuesday/Thursdays 5:30-7:30 beginning after the time change in Mid-March (can't wait!) We are also excited to continue with our weekly and annual garden activities/events to include our First
Fruits Luncheon, Tomato Sandwich Supper, Harvest Celebration Dinner, Final
Fruits Luncheon, Tasty Tuesdays, summer workshop series, weekly water fun
nights, and of course Kidz Thyme on Thursdays!
Looking forward to that first pizza in our new brick pizza oven!
Our Annual Food
and Faith Bible study is happening NOW and it is not too late to join us as we
continue this Thursday 2/7 and conclude on 2/21. A soup supper is shared at 6:00pm in the
fellowship hall and the study begins at 7:00pm in the church. Kidz Thyme is also in session at 7pm! J.E. and Katie have created an
inspirational, thought provoking, and well planned sharing of our brokenness
and reconciliation with God, His people, and His creation, as well as offering
up new prayer practices that can help us all find healing in the process. Week one “And I Will Heal Your Land” was
packed with scriptures and teachings of Creation versus Care (Humanity’s and
God’s care), Sin (the destruction of the land is a sin), and Redemption (God
restores creation and creation praises God).
Below is an example of one of the many scriptures shared. Can’t wait till next week!
“You care for the
land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with
grain, for so you have ordained it. You
drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless
its crops. You crown the year with your
bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the
hills are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.” (Psalm 65:9-13)
Wishing you
warmer days (hopefully soon!) and many blessings this month and I thank all of our garden members, church, and community for your past, present, and future prayers,
love, and support towards our garden. It
WILL be good!
-Donna Poe
Garden
Coordinator
