Around the Garden

The Rockfall Foundation’s 25th Annual Symposium, "Food Security: National Issues, Local Response” offered attendees a wealth of knowledge and ideas from a variety of accomplished speakers.

Mark Winne, keynote speaker, consults internationally on food issues. The local panel, moderated by Susan Campbell of the Hartford Courant, included Nicole Berube, Executive Director of CitySeed of New Haven, Izzi Greenberg, Executive Director of N.E.A.T. in Middletown, John Guzkowski, President & CEO at Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, and David Zemelsky, co-owner of Star Light Gardens in Durham.

Food justice, Big Food, government subsidies, and looming scarcity were just a few of the topics covered. But for this gardener, the star of the show was the Common Good Garden, located directly behind Grace Episcopal Church on Old Saybrook’s Main Street. Founder and Master Gardener Claudia Van Nes conducted a tour of the garden for attendees who stayed for lunch.

On a parcel of urban land owned by Grace Episcopal Church (the site of the post-Symposium lunch), the nonprofit organization grows much-needed produce for Shoreline Soup Kitchen clients. Run entirely by volunteers, the garden has grown almost five-fold since its inception in 2002. Local residents donate not only labor but equipment and expertise; water is supplied by the church and other neighbors while gorgeous leaf compost arrives courtesy of the town. Additional volunteers make pickups and deliveries.

As Claudia described the garden’s history, she had interviewed the director of the Shoreline Soup Kitchen for a newspaper article. Learning that the soup kitchen needed fresh produce, she thought of creating a vegetable and fruit garden staffed by local gardeners. Last year this garden, along with a few nearby farm stands and local gardeners who donate their surplus, generated 37,000 pounds of produce for the soup kitchen.

Needless to say, my first thought was, why not here in Middletown?

Middletown no longer shows obvious signs of its agricultural past. But a drive through some neighborhoods tells another story. Gardens proliferate – there may be more fig trees than people in some parts of town.

During the panel discussion, Izzi Greenberg told of the origins of the Erin Street Community Garden, installed on a formerly blighted corner lot. Before that, Green Street was the site of an impressive community garden, now replaced by affordable housing. Soon Portland Street will be home to another N.E.A.T.-organized garden, although the details are still being worked out.

N.E.A.T. is also the organizer of the North End Farmers’ Market, which is still open for another two weeks. Part of N.E.A.T.’s mission has been to teach local residents how to cook with the produce sold at the market. With support from Wholesome Wave, an offshoot of the Newman’s Own Foundation, SNAP and WIC coupons are doubled for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As Mark Winne explained, food represents about 7% of a wealthy American family’s weekly budget. For those below the poverty level, that percentage can be 15% or more. In less-developed countries, food and heat use up 50% of a typical family’s income.

While energy costs continue to rise, the potential for America’s “bread basket” to supply the world’s grain will decline. Water shortages in the American west and in China will drastically affect the price of corn, wheat and soybeans. Rising temperatures in Russia have decimated wheat production, while flooding has destroyed rice crops in India, Pakistan and Thailand.

World-wide scarcity of a single nutrient – phosphate – could doom fertilizers and “green revolutions” as we have known them.

This year might be a good year to plan a new or bigger vegetable garden. If that sounds ambitious, start a compost pile. All those leaves that are fluttering down so colorfully now could feed your garden next year – a lawnmower or leaf shredder will speed the process.

Here’s one tip to make next year’s new vegetable garden much less work: in a sunny spot, mark out the dimensions of the garden with lime or some ordinary white flour. With your garden hose handy, cover the entire area with six layers of plain newspaper (black and white only). Wet the paper with the hose so it doesn’t blow around. Spread six to eight inches of shredded leaves on top of the paper.

In the spring, don’t till the soil – the newspaper and leaves will have smothered the grass or weeds. Then just plant your vegetables right through the mulch and newspaper, which will be mostly decomposed.

And, if you know of an unused lot around town, think about its potential. Think about 37,000 pounds of produce to feed those who really need it.