NORWAY — The Alan Day Community Garden, now in its fifth growing season, is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a Maine Community Foundation Grant that will help it continue its mission to cooperatively create an educational demonstration garden using organic, sustainable methods to support an enduring community food system. This funding will be used to support two initiatives.
The first initiative, explains Rocky Crockett, now in his fourth year as the ADCG Coordinator, is the creation of a video documentary that will chronicle the activity at the garden and to discuss its potential impact on the community. The film will describe the food system in this country and explain the relationship between locally grown food, the natural environment, nutrition, exercise and overall physical and mental health. The film will also highlight the community-building aspect of the ADCG and include interviews with both local experts and beginning gardeners. The video will be filmed and edited by local youths, and will be available online and on local television.
The second initiative is to launch a Youth Leadership Opportunity. This initiative offers a local young person a paid opportunity to learn hands-on aspects of gardening as well as about producing, marketing, community organizing and being a vital aspect of nonprofit business management. These youth leaders will work with the garden coordinator to maintain the Sharing Garden, update social media sites, host youth groups, create outreach strategies and distribute produce. Two part-time positions will be available in the summer of 2013. Students are required to complete 20 hours as volunteers at the Alan Day Community Garden to be eligible for the job. The application is on the website at alandaygarden.wordpress.com under Current Events & Information. Deadline for applications is May 1.
Located on Whitman Street in Norway, across from the Norway Grange, the ADCG’s three acres are becoming more fertile every year. Volunteers have built a composting system that feeds the soil and each year, compost and loam are added to what was previously a vacant lot to create beds for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Begun in 2009 to honor the memory of Alan Day, local philanthropist, father, artist and community leader, the garden has grown from three small beds to include more than 20 raised beds along with more than a dozen rows cultivated by individuals, families and organizations. For $20, anyone can “rent” a half-row at the garden, or $10 for a raised bed, and grow his or her own food. In 2010, volunteers built an elaborate catchment system that now provides plenty of water on a lot that contains no traditional plumbing. Volunteers hope to install a composting toilet on the site this summer that will serve as a model and inspiration for other places and families.
After organizing a bulk seed order among its participants, the ADCG is making plans for the summer. On April 21, the garden will celebrate Earth Day with its formal opening of the season, including a work party, a Gardening 101 workshop with Extension Director Barbara Murphy, a potluck meal, music and a garden blessing, all from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On June 1, Gardening 101 will be repeated and organic seedlings will be on sale. On June 29, the garden plans a lovely evening event with food and music in which the silent auction will culminate. Auction items are soon available at alandaygarden.wordpress.com. Anyone can bid on these donated items during April and May.
During the summer, a series of workshops will explore many aspects of growing and using locally produced food.
For more information, contact Rocky Crockett at AlanDayCommunityGarden@gmail.com or 743-2423 or visit alandaygarden.wordpress.com.
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