Tag Archives: volunteer

Spotlight on Volunteer Eric Lorenz

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As most folks are aware, the Community Garden Coalition is a completely volunteer organization. Board members, garden leaders and other volunteers receive nothing for their labors other than the joy of helping others. Recently, I moved away from active participation on the board to being an occasional volunteer. But before I go I want to make sure that we recognize one of our truly dedicated volunteers, Eric Lorenz.

Eric Lorenz stands next to garden beds featuring a tall mass of cherry tomatoes taller than his him
Eric Lorenz

Eric has a Ph.D. in agronomy and has worked with private seed companies in both South America and Spain. He and his wife, Linda, enjoy visiting other countries and learning about their cultures. This interest has led them to regularly volunteer in Guatemala for the Foundation for the Higher Good, a Columbia-based nonprofit. When they’re in Columbia, he volunteers at a variety of organizations including LOVE, Columbia, Granny’s House and, of course, the Community Garden Coalition.

Volunteer Eric Lorenz poses behind a raised garden bed with two people in MU physical therapy scrubs
Eric with MU physical therapists at the St. Joseph Street Garden, 2022

I first encountered Eric several years ago when he gardened at Ash Street Garden, which I remember because he is very tall and very nice (like my guy, Matt). Then he popped back up as garden leader for the St. Joseph Street Garden when LOVE, Columbia purchased the land. The garden had been relatively neglected, but Eric went at it full force. Almost every time I walked by he was there working. By the time he finished he had transformed St. Joseph into a little garden of Eden. It was lovely.

Eric Lorenz leans against a decorative garden gate for the Britt-Hall community garden
Eric with the new gate he built for the deer fence at Britt-Hall, 2024

About the time we found out that St. Joseph Garden’s days were numbered, we sadly lost our lovely garden leader at the Britt-Hall Garden, Thu Nguyen. Eric stepped up again and took over this garden. He built new beds, installed deer fencing, with some help from Cheryl Jensen, and fixed everything that had fallen into disrepair. He even built a lovely gate to spruce up the place. Then, when a new garden leader was found, Eric graciously ceded his position and moved on to be a gardener and co-leader at Unite4Health Garden with Cheryl. Since joining Unite4Health, Eric has rebuilt broken raised beds, built a shed for the straw and become the general fix-it man. Needless to say, Cheryl is thrilled to have his help!

Eric is a wonderful, intelligent person and an excellent gardener. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him, you should stop by Unite4Health Garden some spring day. Look around for a very tall man with silver hair who’s working hard and chances are good that’s him. 

I know I speak for everyone on the board when I say THANK YOU, ERIC!

Season’s End 2021

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Harvesting the community sweet potato plot at Unite4Health community garden in 2021.

Despite some lingering warm days, nighttime temperatures are trending lower and our first frost of the year is behind us now in Mid-Missouri. Did you get your green tomatoes plucked and your final sweet potatoes dug? Or maybe you’re still nursing some greens under a row cover, sowing a fall cover crop or planting garlic?

The majority of community garden plots are finished producing for the season, so it’s time to do a little housekeeping before winter sets in. We ask all community gardeners to please do the following.

  • If you’re at a community or group garden, let your garden leader know whether you’re planning to return next year. This will help leaders know what plots will be available for newcomers next year.
  • Clean up your plot. Generally, most dead plants and non-plant materials (string, wire, wood, metal, plastic, etc.) should be removed and disposed of. If you need tips on how to put your garden to bed for the winter, consult your garden leader.
  • Consider making a year-end donation to the CGC to help with maintaining your community garden next year. We’re a very small, all-volunteer non-profit, and even modest contributions help us fund water, mulch, tools and more to support community gardening in Columbia.
    Donate here today, or wait for November 30 (Giving Tuesday) when the CGC will be participating in the CoMo Gives local giving campaign.
  • Consider donating some of your time. Individual gardens need good leaders and team members and the board of the CGC could use new members, too. Contact your garden leader or our board members to get involved.

Interfaith Garden Planters

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3 Interfaith gardeners standing at the garden with some of their harvestThis fall, my husband Matt and I took a tour of the Interfaith Garden with Lily Chan, the garden leader. This garden is located behind the Beth Shalom synagogue at 500 W. Green Meadows Road and is a collaboration between Beth Shalom and the Newman Center. Volunteers grow a wide variety of organic produce such as greens, beans, tomatoes, okra, sweet potatoes, herbs and even persimmons for the Central Missouri Food Pantry.

When Lily showed us some planters that the Boy Scouts had built for them, I couldn’t help noticing that they looked almost identical to the ones that my husband, Matt had been building this year for us and our neighbors. When Lily mentioned that they wished they had more of these planters, I filed it away for later to ask Matt if he was willing to build some more for them. (My happy relationship tip is never volunteer your spouse/significant other without asking first!) Matt was willing! He put together an estimate for two more planters, and the Community Garden Coalition approved it and paid for the supplies. A couple of weeks later, we delivered them to the garden.

Interfaith Garden board members and Matt Knowlton pose at the garden with raised planters

Interfaith Garden board members and Matt Knowlton (center) pose at the garden with the raised planters

Here’s what Lily had to say:

Thank you so much for the beautifully made planters you donated to the Interfaith Garden. It was a work of art. Brent, Mike, Susan, I, and all our volunteers are very grateful to you both for your generosity and kindness towards us and for contributing to the Interfaith Garden’s mission of feeding the poor in our community. And the timing is so perfect, too. We can start putting plant remains in there and top them with leaves and compost so they will be ready to be planted by spring.

This is just one of the many ways that the Community Garden Coalition is helping to support our community. Please consider making a donation to support gardens like the Interfaith Garden this December.

You can donate via CoMoGives through December 31!

 

Season’s End 2020

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  • Circus Lyons gardeners in October
  • volunteers rehabbing old beds at Unite4Health

As November winds down, most garden plots are finished producing for the season. Before you shift away from thinking about gardening for the winter, though, please do the following.

  • If you’re at a community or group garden, let your garden leader know whether you’re planning to return next year. This will help leaders know what plots will be available for newcomers next year.
  • Clean up your plot. If you need tips on how to put your garden to bed for the winter, consult your garden leader.
  • Consider making a year-end donation to the CGC to help with maintaining your community garden next year. We’re a very small, all-volunteer non-profit, and even modest contributions help us fund water, mulch, tools and more to support community gardening in Columbia.
    Donate here today, or wait for December 1 when the CGC will be participating in the CoMo Gives local giving campaign.
  • Consider donating some of your time. Individual gardens need good leaders and team members and the board of the CGC could use new members, too. Contact your garden leader or our board members to get involved.