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!