Garden volunteers grow bounty for food bank
Edmond's community garden is harvesting food for the needy and giving volunteers a chance to reap the joy of working with the soil.
A team effort with the YMCA, city of Edmond, the University of Central Oklahoma and volunteers has made it all possible since 2010.
Scott Mitchell is the facilities director for the Rankin YMCA, which hosts the garden on the southeast side of its property, just north of 15th Street. He explained the philosophy behind the allorganic garden.
"For so many people needing a food bank, they don't get a chance to have food which is this healthy and fresh," he said. Many times a food bank only can offer canned and processed food. That's different with the Y garden.
Through 13 garden beds, volunteers grow a variety of produce that makes its way to the UCO Food Bank, operating in conjunction with Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
The garden's goodies are distributed to those in need by Eric Hemphill, who is also with the sustainability and alternative transportation departments at UCO. The food bank is in the UCO student union.
This year, the garden got kind of a late start with planting in June.
"We hope in the future to start around March or April," Mitchell said.
The garden is now transitioning to a fall garden. Already it's yielded tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, cucumbers, spinach, eggplant, sweet potatoes, radishes, green beans, herbs andokra.
The community garden soaks up sunshine and rainfall with its raised beds supported by cinder blocks. In addition to edibles, there are sunflower plants, which stretch high in the middle of the green patch. Mitchell notes the reason for the plants.
"These plants help to draw monarch butterflies," he said, while pointing to a fluttering butterfly landing softly on a plant. "Butterflies, like birds, migrate and this is like a way station for them." He explained that Ryan Ochsner, of the city of Edmond, and green infrastructure planner, had informed him of the benefits of the sunflower plants.
Many youths help to make the garden work season after season. Among them are teens from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church's Summer Sonshine program.
Usually about 20 teens will help at a time, said Jane Gray, one of the key volunteers in the special project.
"The next week it will be 20 different kids from St. John's helping," she said. "The kids get to learn that food doesn't magically appear in grocery stores. It has to be grown."
Like all volunteers, the kids weed, plant, maintain and harvest. Also lending a hand are YMCA teens in the Camp Elite program. Yet, the gardening fun isn't a youth movement. Gray urged older resident to seriously consider helping with the project.
"Retired people may have a smaller home and yard," she said. "If they want to know about the joys of gardening again, they should consider volunteering. We have the tools and gloves all ready here."
She noted those who do give of their time will not face a structured sign-up sheet or schedule.
"Just come whenever you can," she said.
The beauty of the special growing zone is that there is room to expand, Mitchell said.
"We own the land here and have a vision for expansion," he said. He added donations are always accepted, including tools and seeds. Yet, as Gray and Mitchell both pointed out, volunteers are the No. 1 need.
"The community garden needs your green thumb," Mitchell said.
To find out more, or to help, email Mitchell at SMitchell@ymcaokc.org.