Can You Help Support Community Gardens?

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Jenny

As we head into winter and our member gardens go largely dormant, we’re asking our supporters to consider making a donation to fund community gardening for 2025. You can show your support with a donation via CoMoGives, now through December 31. Here’s a note from one of our newer board members, Ginny Trauth.

Hello to all Community Garden Coalition supporters and friends!

My name is Ginny Trauth and as a fresher face to the CGC all-volunteer board I’d like to introduce myself and share what being a part of CGC means to me.

Three years ago, I stumbled into the world of community gardening when I moved to a new part of town and regularly drove past CGC’s Unite4Health garden. After some online searching I learned that that garden was part of CGC and even though I was a pretty inexperienced gardener, I decided to reach out and see if I could join.

With CGC’s assistance, through compost, water, seeds, straw, and tools, and my garden leader’s knowledge I was able to hit the ground running and quickly caught the gardening bug! Working on my garden, seeing it grow, and meeting new people in my community became a real joy in my life. My community garden gave so much to me that I decided I needed to give back to it. First through financial donations and working on volunteer projects and, when the opportunity presented itself, as a board member.

During this time of year, when thankfulness and community are at the top of mind, I ask that you consider donating to CGC to help give back to and support an organization that gives to and supports so many!

Donations to CGC and to other wonderful community organizations can be made at through CoMoGives until December 31 at 11:59 PM.

I thank you and wish you a warm holiday season!
– Ginny Trauth

Unhappy Deer = Happier Gardeners!

Posted on November 18, 2024 by kathyedoisy

Deer depredation is becoming a big problem in many of our community gardens. Believe it or not, the white-tailed deer population for Missouri in 1925 was reported to be 400 animals. Recent estimates by the Missouri Department of Conservation put the current population at about 1.4 million. It’s not surprising that they are finding their way into our gardens in search of food!

The best deterrent for protecting gardens is deer fencing. Unfortunately, installing fencing is an expensive and laborious procedure that must be approved by the property owner and only one of the many gardens that we help (Claudell) is owned by the Community Garden Coalition.

We were successful in obtaining some funding through three grant proposals. In 2023, the Veterans United Foundation gave us $5,000 and two local Walmarts gave us $2,000 to use towards the installation of deer fencing. This was enough to begin fencing some of the gardens where we were receiving the most complaints. Cheryl Jensen and Eric Lorenz, the garden leaders at two city-owned gardens, Unite4Health and Britt-Hall, teamed up to determine the best materials and methods to protect those gardens. At Britt-Hall, Eric, with some help from Cheryl, installed all the fencing and made a lovely gate (see photo).

Eric Lorenz stands next to a garden gate saying Britt-Hall Community Garden — Left, Eric Lorenz at the Britt-Hall gate, photo credit Cheryl Jensen
Right, Britt-Hall garden in May with fencing, photo credit Kathy Doisy

Britt-Hall community garden showing raised beds in progress and a deer fence — Left, Eric Lorenz at the Britt-Hall gate, photo credit Cheryl Jensen
Right, Britt-Hall garden in May with fencing, photo credit Kathy Doisy

Unfortunately, installation at Unite4Health was much more difficult because underneath the garden is part of the old Nowell’s grocery store parking lot! Things were looking grim for digging post holes until ForColumbia, a volunteer service group organized by several of Mid-Missouri’s christian churches under the leadership of Shelly Mayer (The Crossing), contacted us to see if there were any garden projects that they could volunteer for. When Cheryl contacted her and explained the situation, Shelly was not deterred. She met with us and brought along two of the most wonderful and determined lead volunteers, J.P. Watson and Tim Leibovich. J.P. and Tim worked for several days drilling anchor holes with a commercial auger so the posts could be secured in the hard subsurface.

Two volunteers run a large motorized auger to drill through the soil and buried pavement to make post holes for fencing at Unite4Health garden — J.P. Watson and Tim Leibovich with auger. Photo Credit: Cheryl Jensen

Finally, on April 27, a large crew of hardworking, caring people arrived to install the fencing and repair raised beds. It was a nice day, and, due to the wonderful planning of J.P., Tim, and Cheryl, everything went smoothly. By the time they left, Unite4Health was fenced in — much to the chagrin of the local deer population! On top of all of this, ForColumbia paid for many additional expenses.

volunteers from ForColumbia 2024 pose with garden leader Cheryl next to some of the tall netted fencing meant to keep deer out of Unite4Health garden — J.P., Cheryl, Megan, Katie, and Tim. Photo Credit: J.P. Watson.

We are so thankful for the help of ForColumbia, the Veterans United Foundation and Walmart! Now, gardeners at these two gardens are able to grow more healthful produce, and they only have to share it with family and friends!

many volunteers assemble in front of lumber and other supplies to build the Unite4Health garden deer fence — ForColumbia volunteers at Unite4Health garden get instructions, photo credit Ginny Trauth
Volunteers working on the fence & repairing raised beds, photo credit Kathy Doisy

ForColumbia volunteers at Unite4Health garden get instructions, photo credit Ginny Trauth
Volunteers working on the fence & repairing raised beds, photo credit Kathy Doisy

Meet Our Gardens 2021

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Jenny

Here’s a little peek into some of our member gardens this year. Today, on the shortest day of the year, it’s nice to look back and see the bounty of the summer season!

We are so grateful for all the community support we’ve received this year! Direct donations and those through CoMo Gives have totaled nearly $5,000 so far!!!

It’s not too late to show your support. You can give a gift to community gardening via CoMo Gives through midnight on December 31. Every little bit helps our small organization!

Donate via CoMo Gives through December 31

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Unite4Health Garden Inspires Happiness and Nurtures Health

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Jenny

Situated next to the Columbia/Boone County Health Department on City-owned property, the Unite4Health Garden offers individual plots to people from all over the community. The CGC is so happy to partner with the City of Columbia to support this large garden.

This year, we asked gardeners to share their thoughts about why they valued community gardening. A few Unite4Health gardeners shared what their community garden plots have meant to them.

“I can grow the best quality vegetables, and save an enormous amount of money, while enjoying self-sufficiency and the nurturing of a garden.”
~ Anne Jacobson, Garden Co-Leader

“The community garden has provided benefits beyond my expectations. There’s the exercise in biking or walking to and from the site along with the outside work required. I have shared the whole experience with my granddaughter as we have produced outstanding home grown tomatoes and other vegetables to savor and share with friends and neighbors. A bonus has been meeting like-minded gardeners and everyone has been extremely helpful.”
~ J.R. Holliday

“I am so grateful for my community garden plot at the Unite4Health garden. I don’t have enough sun in my yard to have one at home, and I missed gardening. I also love that I can control what goes into and on my food–no pesticides or chemical residues. There’s nothing like your own produce straight from the garden you grew yourself, and it’s so much more delicious and nutritious than store-bought. And it’s wonderful to dig in the dirt for your mental and physical health.”
~ Amanda Sprochi

There are still a few days left to show your love to community gardens in Columbia with a gift to CGC via the CoMoGives local giving campaign! We are directing half of what we raise this year to the Friendship Gardens group and the rest will help us continue supporting great gardens like Unite4Health.

Donate to CoMoGives

And, P.S., we are so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of CoMoGives and the Community Foundation of Central Missouri. They make it so easy to give to all your favorite nonprofits that make our community what it is!