Getting to the Root of Gardening

Over the summer, the Community Garden on Chestnut Street worked with kids from Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Head Start and Pottstown Middle School to educate them about growing your own food. There is an Open Garden event on Sept. 22

Blogger's Note: This was submitted by the folks at Pottstown's community garden:

MOSAIC Community Land Trust is holding an “Open Garden” on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 12-2 pm. 

All are invited into the Community Garden at 423 Chestnut St. in Pottstown to participate in a salsa-making workshop, learn how the garden works, and pick vegetables to take home.

“The idea of many people gardening their own plot within a larger space may have seemed unusual last spring when this was just a vacant lot,” said David Jackson, President of MOSAIC’s Board of Trustees.   

“We want to welcome the community to see the garden in action,” he said.

The Community Garden has plots being tended by Pottstown residents, including groups from Pottstown Middle School, the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, and the Maternity Care Coalition/Early Head Start.  

Hundreds of pounds of squash, tomatoes, kale, basil and many other vegetables and herbs are being harvested. Members weigh their produce and record it on a sheet; totals will be announced at the end of the season.

Garden guests on Sept. 22 will be able to take home vegetables and herbs from one of MOSAIC’s community plots. 

There will also be salsa-making demonstrations and tastings, along with pesto made from basil grown in the garden. 

MOSAIC is now seeking another site in Pottstown to add a garden next year. Interested residents can get on a list for next year’s gardens.

Support for acquisition and construction of the garden on Chestnut Street came from the Pottstown School District, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, National Penn Bank, Genesis Housing Corporation, Susquehanna Bank, Lowes, Borough of Pottstown, Davey Tree Experts, and Andrew Monastra, Esq.

MOSAIC Community Land Trust’s a mission to increase homeownership in Pottstown, develop community gardens, and support the arts.  Their office and gallery is at 10 S. Hanover Street. Membership in the CLT is open to all; details can be found at their website at www.mosaiccommunitylandtrust.org or by calling David Jackson at 484-949-4235.

Watching Their Garden Grow

Organizers are hoping First Ward resident will really "dig" the new community garden.

BLOGGER'S NOTE: Our Thanks to Amy Francis for forwarding the release with this great news.

POTTSTOWN -- The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation recently awarded a grant in the amount of $30,000 to the Preservation Pottstown/Mosaic Community Land Trust to build Pottstown’s first community garden at 423 Chestnut Street. 

The Foundation’s grant will allow for the construction of up to 42 raised beds for planting and the installation of fencing, paths, a trellis, rain barrels, compost bins, benches, and a play area for children.

The lot had been owned for years by the Pottstown School District and was filled with decaying playground equipment and was rarely used. Last year, the district conveyed the district to the land trust and this is one of the group's first projects.

“We are honored and grateful to receive this grant from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, which will allow us to complete Pottstown’s first community garden this spring,” said David Jackson, President of Mosaic Community Land Trust. 

“The garden will greatly increase access to healthy foods and already has many supporters in Pottstown and surrounding communities,” he said.

Community gardens provide access to healthy food.

Community gardens are a growing trend in vacant lots in urban areas. 

They are viewed not only as a way for people who have limited access to full-service supermarkets for fresh produce to improve their nutrition, but also as a way for neighborhood residents to reconnect.  

Residents pay a small annual membership fee and are given a small plot in which to grow vegetables and flowers. 

Educational workshops will teach members how to garden and what tasks need to be completed throughout the entire growing season. 

Jackson noted, “some of the additional benefits of a community garden include:  improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents, stimulating social interaction, beautification of the neighborhood, and improving opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education.”

            

A key to the success of a community garden is the development of partnerships.  Jackson includes as Mosaic’s partners for this project: Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, Borough of Pottstown, Pottstown School District, Genesis Housing Corporation, Susquehanna Bank, Lowes, Davey Tree Experts, Lointerhome, and many individual donors and volunteers.

           

The Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation enhances the health and wellness of area 

residents, providing education, funding and programs that motivate people to adopt healthy lifestyles. 

The Foundation was formed in July 2003 with the proceeds obtained from the sale of the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.  Non-profits interested in learning more about the Foundation’s grants program and application process should visit their website at www.pottstownfoundation.org.  

 For great ideas on how to create a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, check out their online community, Mission Healthy Living, at www.missionhealthyliving.org