Sunday, May 6th, the Burko and McCormack families prepared the TLC Produce Garden. On a refreshingly cool, spring day, all the raised beds were cleaned and prepared for a bountiful harvest later this summer/fall. There is something invigorating and fulfilling about digging in the dirt. Particularly when it’s in service of those in need.
We are taking measures to make our garden especially environmentally friendly. Our raised beds are all built with reclaimed boards from both the community and from our Mission Partners (we even kept the leftovers in case we need to build more;-)).
Rather than using chemical fertilizers, we enrich our soil with ‘homemade’ compost. We try not to throw away any food items from our pantry. Expired items are composted (when able) and the packaging is recycled.
Last year we obtained four rain barrels and installed them on two downspouts behind the church. During the entire growing season last year, they did not run out of water once! Which means we did not need to turn on the hose at all in order to water the garden.
This year’s crop is focused mainly on leafy greens: spinach in the spring (and again in the fall), rainbow chard (a fan favorite), a few different lettuce varieties, and some kale. We were also able to purchase both a bean tower and a cucumber trellis…can’t wait to see how those turn out!
We’ll update our growing progress at intervals during the summer. Be sure to check back to see how we’re doing! If you’re interested in helping out, please email at: pantry@templelutheran.org. We can always use volunteers to help water & weed during the year. It’s often a relaxing way to spend some time in the evening with your family.
TLC Food Pantry 