Category Archives: photos

Growing Food, Growing Community

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Community gardens give people a way to grow their own fresh food for themselves, their families, neighbors, coworkers and friends. If you have ever gardened you know the satisfaction of putting food you have grown onto the table. The Community Garden Coalition of Columbia and Boone County supports numerous community gardens as well as school-based gardens, helping hundreds to grow food locally and sustainably, often within walking distance of their home or apartment. Nurturing plants becomes a valuable way to nurture community relationships!

Help our gardeners and communities flourish next year with a donation through CoMoGives!

And, please share our request with your friends, family and fellow gardeners! We appreciate your support for community gardening!

Ann St. Garden in summer with a shed painted with an eggplant

Ann St. Garden, summer 2017

Ann St. Garden volunteers posing next to their shed

Ann St. gardeners, summer 2017

Spotlight on Ash St. Garden

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Now that the weather’s turned and most of our gardens are dormant, it’s a good moment to look back on this season. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of our member gardens, starting today with Ash St. Garden.

One of the largest community gardens in Columbia, Ash St. Garden provided plots for more than 25 families this year and those plots helped feed about 85 family members. Garden leader Hari Poudel offered these pictures of the garden plots growing all kinds of vegetables in mid-June.

Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017 Ash St. garden in June 2017

Thank you! No, thank YOU!

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Mike & G-ManOn January 18, the CGC hosted a party at Shakespeare’s South to thank all of those who lead our member gardens. Our organization offers all the money, advice and support we can muster, but the garden leaders are the real backbone of each community garden. So, though we already thanked them with food, beverage and some swanky door prizes, one more time, we say to them, “Thank you! We couldn’t do it without your work!”

Garden Leaders at Shakes

We’d also like to thank the many people and businesses that generously donated goods or gift certificates for our event. The winners were pretty thrilled to go home with a little something awesome.

Our donors were:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Bluebird Compost
Clovers
Easy Digging
Fergus Moore (handmade mug)
Lauren Renquist (handpainted Tom’s shoes)
Lucky’s
Sierra Rainsong (aloe plants)
Strawberry Hill Nursery
Westlake Ace Hardware

Community Garden Bike Tour

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Bike Tour at Circus LyonsOn Saturday, June 18, the Community Garden Coalition teamed up with the PedNet Coalition for a bike tour of some of Columbia’s finest community gardens. Michelle Windmoeller of PedNet led the group as we cycled from garden to garden. Visiting a diverse array of gardens, we got a taste for what’s growing around town, from the Coalition’s newest garden at the Health Department to the chickens at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture’s demonstration garden.

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Looking Ahead to Spring

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Snowbells bloom on January 15, 2010.

Snowbells bloom on January 15, 2010.

The snowbells have already started to bloom and we are already getting inquiries from eager gardeners. So, I guess it’s time to shake off the winter stupor and get ready for spring.

If your mind has already turned to the garden, check out our gardening resources page while you wait for the seasons to catch up.

Also, I just happened to hear the Governer say this in his State of the State address:

“…every Missouri family should be able to share the bounty of the land, including fresh, healthy produce. That’s why my budget will help promote local farmers markets, and encourage more folks to start community gardens in their neighborhoods.”

Way to go, Jay!

Garlic Greens

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9th_0622Is the garlic you planted last fall showing springy green shoots? This photo was taken a couple of years ago in late February at the Ninth St. garden, so you can see how it might look at this point in late winter. Our winter has been cold, but fall-planted garlic should have survived.