“Transforming Lives…Building Self-Sufficiency.” The William Byrd Community House’s mission statement still remains etched into my thoughts. Before arriving at our volunteer site I was under the impression we were going to be working at a regular farm, I was not aware of the far reaching implications associated with their work. The WBCH not only operates a working farmlet, they also have a community garden, run a preschool and afterschool program, and operate a food pantry. The farm acts as the glue, reaching out connecting the various programs, and creating a closer knit community. For instance, the kids at the preschool and afterschool programs have their own plots in the community garden. They are given the responsibility to take care of something and are rewarded by seeing their hard work come to life, (literally!). Each family that participates in the day care or afterschool program is also assigned a social worker. Not only do they want to help with the family’s immediate problem – looking after their kids – but they also want to truly help these families to come up with a plan to ensure stability in the future. In addition the fresh produce produced by the farmlet is distributed with typical non-perishable food pantry items. Families are also given recipe cards and tips for how to store food and how to maximize usage. Furthermore, food stamps can be used at the weekly farmer’s markets. I was truly honored that I had the opportunity to be part of this program.
We worked on various projects, including weeding wire grass along a path where wild flowers would soon be planted. We also mulched a section by the shed, transferred the contents of the compost bins to a different container, spread fresh dirt on the community garden plots, and planted peas.
Working in the garden also reminded me of home. Although I didn’t always love it at the time, one of the things I miss about home is the huge amount of yard work. My siblings and I complained, but regardless, raking the endless piles of leaves, planting flowers, or weeding the gardens always brought us closer together as a family.
(teaching our dog to jump over a rake…/raking!)
We also built our own small vegetable and fruit garden in our back yard, which started with a tiny plot of ripped up grass and some strawberries and tomatoes, yet ended with a fenced in enclosure with a gate! Now we currently grow raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, corn, snap peas, cucumbers, pumpkins, basil, and apples!
Cultivating a garden gives people the chance to take responsibility of something meaningful and simultaneous gain a greater sense of control over their lives. It gives people a chance to teach their children and others the importance of following through with tasks, and in turn they receive fresh produce.
People always say food tastes better in the woods, I definitely find this true with camping, I also find this true with vegetable gardens. Somehow it always manages to taste better. It may simply be the hard work, or it may really taste better. But, whatever the reason, gardens are awesome!