Winding down

With the lazy days of summer past and school back in session, the garden is winding down.  We are still having beans and squash, but most everything else has run its course.  It has been a learning experience, and one that would have failed horribly, if not for the dedication of a handful of members.  I look foward to getting together with them this fall to discuss what we did right, what we did wrong and if we'd like to do this again next year.

Sharon has been picking beans twice every week the entire month of August and into September.  If anyone would like to take over, they are still producing.  Jim picked quite a few acorn squash, a couple butternut squash and dug all of the onions.  When I arrived at church on Sunday, I found that Jeff had decided to dig most of the potatoes and pick a bunch of peppers the day before.  What a blessing their work has been to others!  Today I delivered 55 pounds of fresh produce to the PCM Food Pantry in Monroe and the Jasper County Food Bank in Newton.  Here is a picture of the bounty!

I should probably confess and delete at least a half a pound from that total.  While loading the leftover squash back in my car, the box tore and squash and cucumbers went rolling under my van.  I picked up what I could reach then carefully, or so I thought, pulled the van ahead to check and see if I missed any...

This cucumber was a casualty.  :) 

Thank you again for everyone that supported this ministry.  We really were able to bless so many people with our work.
Sue


2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) 

   ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Well, with the recent rains, the garden continues to produce.  We try to keep up on it, but it has been a lot of work!  Without the dedication of some very committed volunteers, it would've gotten away from us!  We are still regularly taking beans, tomatoes, potatoes and onions (even a Muscatine melon or two) to the PCM Food Pantry in Monroe, and what they can't use goes to the Jasper County Food Pantry that is housed in the Salvation Army offices in Newton.  The time I was there, there were people standing in line waiting for it to open.  It felt really good to be able to bless others with our excess produce.  I've been looking for scriptures that pertain to the blessing of others and came across the following:

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”

II Corinthians 9:8-12 (ESV)

One main reason God blesses us, is so we can be a blessing to others.  This garden has been a blessing to many people, both those receiving the produce to nourish their bodies, and those donating their time and efforts, nourishing their soul.

May God bless each and every one of you.

Dry, dry, dry!!

Wow!  Wouldn't you know, the year we choose to plant a food pantry garden, and there's a serious drought.  Maybe it's a test of faith or maybe it's so we are able empathize more with those that depend on farming for their livelihood...

One thing I have found so interesting is that cucumbers (that I would think contain a lot of water) are producing like crazy in this!  Summer squash, too.  It's unreal.  Here are some pictures of our recent harvest...

We have dug some potatoes and pulled some onions...the sweet corn, tomatoes and peppers are coming on, too.  We have had such an abundance of cucumbers, squash and beans, we let the PCM Food Pantry folks have what they could use and took the rest to the Jasper County Food Bank at the Salvation Army in Newton.  They were thrilled!

This is the back of my van full of sweet corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.  To date, the PCUMC Seeds of Hope Food Pantry Garden has donated 224 pounds of produce to local food pantries!  Thank you to everyone that has helped with this mission.  We have been able to bless many people and I'm feeling pretty blessed myself!  Amen!

Ready or not!

Well, things in the garden are getting ready, whether we are or not!  Chad and I finished picking the radishes for the year and we had quite a few for him to deliver with the Vacation Bible School donation to the food pantry. 

The last of the radishes were delivered to the PCM Food Pantry last week...

With the hot, dry conditions we've been experiencing, the beets, carrots and lettuce didn't fair well at all, which for me, the non-gardener, was a disappointment.  (The more experienced gardeners seem to be taking it in stride...maybe it's a learned thing...)  We are still praying for rain to keep the tomatoes and peppers going.  They are still alive, and there are tomatoes and peppers on them that will be should be ready later this week, but they are looking pretty stressed!

Garden volunteers Karen and Ginny picked beans, zucchini and other summer squash.  (Funny thing, we thought we were planting green beans, but apparently we planted yellow beans...Mary assures me they taste pretty much the same. :)  I think we'll have more yet this week. 

This gardening stuff is kind of exciting...so far, anyway!  If you have any favorite recipes you would like to share for us to include with the produce, please email us at pcumcseedsofhope@gmail.com!




17 pounds of beans, zucchini and other summer squash!



New to gardening...

Now, I'm not sure that I mentioned this, but I am actually not a "gardener".  My parents and in-laws had gardens, my husband and I have done some container gardening (for the sole purpose of making salsa!), but I would never have claimed to be a gardener.  This has been a great learning experience for me and for all of us that haven't gardened much.  So, why a garden?  Good question!  We talked a lot about it, and prayed a lot about it.  It turns out that we ended up with the support of some people that really knew what they were doing!

If you are like me, and don't profess to have a green thumb, but you'd like to volunteer, we will hook you up with kind of a "garden mentor" to show you the ropes.  After being involved with this project, helping with the planting, weeding and praying for rain...I get it!  I see what all of you experienced gardeners get from this!  And I must say, I think this is almost better, knowing we are doing it for others.

Now here are some pictures I snapped on my phone the other night while helping this week's garden volunteers do a little weeding...

I think Chad is excited about his new knowledge about gardening as I am!  (Either that or he really likes potatoes!)

Add caption

The lettuce is beautiful...not sure what this heat is doing for it, though!  We'll see!

The summer squash is in full bloom!

This pepper looked so funny!  Who knew they would grow straight up!

Everything's coming up....vegetables! :)

 

View of the garden from the east end


I can't believe how well the garden is doing, despite hardly any rainfall!  I thought I would share some pictures and offer an opportunity to help with this wonderful mission project.  I sent out a request on the church Facebook page for garden watchers. I was hoping we would get families to sign up for a week of watching, weeding and harvesting.  So, to set a good example, I signed my family up for the first week!  An hour of weeding makes a big difference, as you can see in the picture.  (I weeded the radishes and carrots on the left side of the picture.)   

We have a beautiful garden growing with sweet corn,  4 different types of potatoes, onions, tomatoes, green beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, spinach, radishes, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, peppers and muscatine melons.  (I may have forgot a few things!)

Here are some pictures of how things are coming along:

 

The pepper plants are small but the peppers aren't!

Doc's pole beans

      I am amazed by the miracle that the tender leaves of a lettuce plant can push through dry, cracked ground!

Not sure, but I think this is where we spilled a variety of lettuce seeds!

Sweet Corn

Nice looking tomatoes, despite the dry weather!

A lot of potatoes!



And I found the most perfect radish!  (Have I told you how much I love radishes?)


Until next time, keep praying for rain!  If you'd like to help with the garden, just contact the church. 
Thank you!

First Harvest!

Radishes...who would have thought they could make a person so happy?!  I mean, I like radishes, but I have never been excited about them! 

These came out of the garden on June 12th.  Sharon, a regular garden helper showed up with them.  I divided them in two bunches and drove to Monroe to the food pantry.  (My husband later pointed out that I should organize deliveries since the trip cost more than the radishes were worth, but after I explained how excited I was about the first harvest, he didn't say anything more!)  I have now put out a request for church or community members that regularly make that trip to be included on a call list for deliveries!  (By the way, Pastor Ann seemed as excited as I was!)

Welcome

With the help of a blogging friend, I've decided this would be a good way to keep those interested in our food pantry garden up-to-date.  First, a little history.  While working with a visioning committee at our church, Prairie City United Methodist Church, we were tossing around ideas of things that could bring our church family closer together.  Some felt we have experienced some "drifting apart" since the implementation of a second service.  One theme that continued coming up through our discussions was the fact that we are at our best when doing things that serve others.  A church we visited had a food pantry garden, and after a lot of talk and convincing we decided to give it a shot! 

We have a core group of garden tenders and many that have volunteered to help with the weeding and harvest as the season goes on.





Here are some pictures of the planting days....

Tools...I should've known they meant business when they showed up with the planter!

   

     

Seeds...

                

Workers!