Community Gardens

Joan Black, 2009-2011 FFGC Committee Chairman 

Dear FFGC friends and fellow gardeners,

Community gardening is having a wonderful resurgence across the nation and we have a unique opportunity to be a part of this right here in Florida! Although it is an ancient agrarian concept and a cooperative effort of many to cultivate a specific area for food production, it has now evolved into being more than just harvesting and sharing edible produce.

It is an opportunity for us to create social change, and encourage intergenerational cooperation and interaction through awareness, education, experience, example, friendship and socialization. The more diverse group of individuals involved, the greater the opportunity to create a truly cohesive, self-sustaining (very important) ongoing community project that provides a specific sense of ‘place’ within a neighborhood or town… urban, suburban, or rural. It brings PEOPLE together and empowers them with a new sense of pride accomplishment and ownership.

Community gardening is high on the list of priorities of the National Garden Club’s agenda. Beautify Blight is the NGC President's Special Project. Check out this link on NGC website: http://www.gardenclub.org/SpecialProjects/BeautifyBlight.aspx

In early Sept. 2009, the local Elks Lodge decided to apply for a $500 Community Involvement grant.  The Wellington Garden Club agreed to provide expertise and support via its Master Gardeners and newly formed Wellington High School Junior Garden Club.

Members of the Junior Garden Club, a parent, a WGC Master Gardener and a volunteer vegetable garden expert/member of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church attended a Community Vegetable Garden all day seminar on Sept. 19 given by experts chosen by the local Extension Service and given at the Mounts Botanical Garden in WPB. One of the speakers who is very knowledgeable on organic gardening agreed to give us his advice as needed.

Upon learning that the request for funding had been granted, a 30’ x 40’ raised bed vegetable garden was installed by the Elks on their property.  Families living in the Westgate Village Habitat for Humanity complex, nearby the gardens were asked to participate as well as a family from Holy Spirit.

And the following businesses contributed to the garden as well:  Builtx, Inc.  loaned  the dump trucks which picked up 3 large loads of compost donated by the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County, Ace Hardware of Port St. Lucie and our volunteer vegetable garden expert donated all the seed,  and the Ice Cream Club of Boynton Beach, FL provided “dessert” to the families who did the planting.  Elks members donated various herbs for harvesting by the families and the cooks at the Elks.
As of Dec. 15^th, our garden is flourishing with only a few weeks to go until our first harvest.  And the children who planted are attending a Holiday Brunch given by the Elks Lodge #1352.