South side Columbians take note, Bethel Church garden (on Old Plank Road), would welcome new gardeners to participate. They don’t have individual plots but anyone is welcome to come and help with the garden in exchange for produce when it is available.
If you’re interested, contact Linda by email and put “garden” in the subject line. If you live nearby and are a beginner, this would be a good way to learn about gardening without the full responsibility of having your own garden.
At last weekend’s Spring Thaw event I chatted with lots of new community gardeners there to meet their garden leaders and pick out some free seed packets.
Here’s a little peek at a few of the faces of community gardening in CoMo.
Leanna & Ryan Dabler have gardened before, but only in the lovely weather of California, so Missouri gardening could pose new challenges. They have herbs ready to transplant into their garden plot at Circus-Lyons and they’re also looking forward to growing beans, tomatoes, marigolds, cucumbers and a small variety of pumpkin, which Ryan is excited to cook into a delicious soup. Continue reading
Two gardens with great central locations are not yet full and are having their first meetings this weekend, which makes it a great time to get started at Circus-Lyons garden (workdays this weekend and next) or at the Claudell garden (workday Sunday, 1-3 p.m.).
Both the garden at the Health Department and the Ash St. garden also have some plots still available.
In the north central part of Columbia, Benton-Stephens, Ninth St. and St. Joseph gardens are all full. A waiting list is established at Benton and will soon be started at the other two.
The leaders of St. Joseph garden are looking for some small groups of gardeners to work a new garden nearby on St. James Street. Contact Adam to talk about this opportunity.
Columbia’s community gardens are getting organized for the season.
If you have any updates about your garden, please send them to jenny@comogardens.org for sharing.
Saturday, March 10, 2-4 pm
ARC (Activities & Recreation Center), 1701 W. Ash Street
The Spring Thaw is our annual community gardening kick-off event. If you’re thinking of gardening this year, are interested in starting a community garden, or are already active in a community garden, don’t miss this annual organizing meeting.
You can sign up or confirm a plot to grow your own vegetables and flowers and meet garden leaders and fellow gardeners. You can also learn about how to start a community garden. Newcomers are welcome.
Our friends at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Farms and Communities Inc. have just received grants to promote locally grown food. Read about it in the Missourian.
The USDA has just released a new map of plant hardiness zones, the first since 1990, and Mid-Missouri has been moved from zone 5b to 6a. The zones are defined by the average annual minimum temperature, with zone 6a meaning winter lows are -10 to -5˚ on average.
The Boonville Daily News recently reported on a new urban farm getting underway this year in Boonville, a project of CGC partner Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. This should help provide more affordable, fresh food to Boonville residents in years to come.
Update: They also have a beautiful new website today!
This winter while your own garden is cold and unproductive, don’t forget that you can still get locally grown vegetables, cheese from nearby goats and meat from area farmers at the Columbia indoor farmer’s market, every Saturday morning at Parkade Plaza, 9 a.m. to noon.
School gardens have been popping up locally and nationally in recent years as an effort to help children learn where food comes from and interest them in the simple and nutritious food available from a garden. Despite these efforts, many times the kind of food available in a small plot outside the school has very little in common with what’s served in the cafeteria. This Thursday night at Ragtag, watch the movie Lunch Line to get some background and perspective on the National School Lunch Program. It’s free!
