MHC’s Community Gardening Program promotes self-reliance by teaching people an economical way to grow healthy food right in their own backyards. In this innovative program, MHC teaches our low-income patrons the life-skill of organic gardening. Our patrons plant, tend, and harvest produce that goes directly to the MHC food pantry and to their kitchens. Over the 7 years of this program, MHC staff & volunteers have raised over 10,000 pounds of organic produce for the MHC food pantry. In 2008, MHC will be tending gardens at Crestmont Community Gardens, Harmony School, and Banneker Community Center and holding garden education workshops at these sites. If you're interested in getting involved, please fill out a volunteer application on this website and check out our upcoming events page. Weekly volunteer hours at the gardens run from April through November at Harmony School on Mondays 4-6pm, and Crestmont Community Gardens on Tuesdays 6-8pm.
For the 2008 growing season all four of our Garden Internship positions are full. Please conatct MHC staff if you are interested in hearing more about this incredible learning opportunity for future years.
See Upcoming Events for gardening events.
MHC gardeners gather at Hilltop Garden &
Nature Center at harvest time.
Comments from a food pantry patron, garden volunteer, new homeowner, and mother of two:
| We are were really glad to have had the opportunity to learn some of the basics for planting an organic garden, and as a result, upon moving into our new house, planting the garden became a first priority, as we would have just enough time to plant for a fall garden. We have already harvested turnips, and the girls love the turnip greens, which they pretend are candy, and run up and eat them straight out of the garden, which I can feel good about because it's organic! The Cupboard (and garden) is just one more organization that makes Bloomington a fabulous place to live!” | |||
Young MHC gardeners proudly harvest
garlic from Crestmont Community Gardens.
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