A beloved spring ritual

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If growing food sounds delightful to you, you might be one of the many avid gardeners of Rhode Island. Did you know that Greater Providence has more than 30 inner-city community gardens? Southside Community Land Trust supports families in their efforts to transform underused land into space that builds community and enhances the quality of life. The Voice reached out to some folks who enjoy gardening and asked them about their experience.

 

Layne Mayer gardens at 160 Sessions Street in Providence

 

Mayer sees the hobby as “a nice escape.” She particularly enjoys the camaraderie the community provides, “There is a connection between everyone in the garden, whether you are friends or not. It is like a micro-neighborhood and everyone gives a friendly wave and shares their [sic] harvest.” Vouching for other gardeners’ friendliness and willingness to offer advice to novices, she says, “We are all in it together.”

While she likes the community aspect, Mayer also enjoys the opportunity for some peace, “It is really relaxing to go and tend the garden.” Another advantage is the chance to do something fun yet pragmatic with children. The harvest is great, too, of course. Mayer grows vegetables such as kale, beets, chard and lettuce. Stopping by the garden before dinnertime and picking fresh produce for a salad can’t be beat, “When you pick and eat something, it has such an amazing flavor. Incomparable to what you get in the market.”

Shannon Boucher gardens at 160 Sessions Street in Providence

 

Boucher, Director of Children’s Programming at J-Space, loves teaching the kids about food’s origins and exposing them to fare they haven’t heard of. The children do mostly everything in the garden. Boucher thinks that growing and picking the vegetables encourages kids to experiment and be more willing to try the intimidating produce. To reinforce the youngsters’ love of the garden, the instructors use vegetables and herbs in cooking activities, as well as for snacks and lunches. For example, the children prepared their most memorable meal – pizza – with the garden’s tomatoes. An enthusiastic guide, Boucher says, “I love veggies and cooking and want to promote the love to kids in our programs.”

Jamie Faith Woods gardens at Jewish Community Day School

 

Woods, a 5th grade teacher at the JCDSRI, shares that the goal of their school garden is to foster the love of the land and healthful eating. Children learn the Jewish midah (value) of being Shomrei Adamah (guardians of the earth). They enjoy working with their hands, watching plants grow and tasting the garden’s offerings – through their experience, their learning deepens. That’s why the school connects work in the garden to the kids’ classroom activities. For instance, those studying Native Americans plant a “three sisters” garden, while others learning about continents plant a world garden. The spoils are also used in holiday celebrations – gourds and pumpkins decorate the school’s sukkah.

Children especially enjoy cooking with the produce. They have made limonana (Israeli mint lemonade), kale chips, pesto and baba ganoush. The school encourages the fun aspect of the garden, hosting harvest parties and taste tests. Faith Woods believes that involving the children “in this way helps ensure our future has stewards for the environment. Forging a Jewish connection to the earth can deepen the value and meaning of Jewish texts and experiences.”

Penney Stein and Liz Kaplan garden in Barrington

 

Stein and Kaplan have been gardening together for 20 years. They like their plot for its ample space and sun. The friends grow everything except corn and beans and try new vegetables and varieties each year. They share the work and the harvest, although each prefers different produce.

The two don’t think that gardening saves that much money, after factoring in the labor and the materials, but believe that the taste and the freshness of the food make the effort worthwhile. The friends like knowing exactly what is in the soil and what is missing from it (pesticides). Also, they enjoy the fruits of their labor: “There’s nothing like seeing the asparagus coming in [in] the spring or the early garlic shoots, reminding us of the work we did in the fall – it’s like a sign that the garden is waking up, that after a hard winter – like the one we had this year – there really will be a spring and summer.” That’s why, despite various hardships caused by unfortunate weather, these gardeners are optimistic about their ordeal and undeterred by setbacks such as predator damage. Instead, they choose to look ahead and feel fulfilled by their accomplishments.