"Anyone who has been
following the news over the past 6 months knows that food security
has become a global issue. Food-crops such as wheat, corn and rice
have failed due to both droughts and flooding. Last week it was
reported that more Americans are on Food Stamps than ever before and
right here in our own communities we've seen the recent crises of two local Food Banks. God's Store-House in
Harrisburg recently had to temporarily close their doors and Junction
City's Local Aid also was facing the empty-shelf syndrome.
Happily, both communities were able to rally and get the shelves
re-stocked with donations.
We think it says a lot
about the Tri-Counties area that you have seen enough value in the
Sharing Gardens to honor us with this Distinguished Service Award.
The 4-H group of Monroe, and the Benton County Extension Service have
also presented us with a Distinguished Service Award this year so, we
must be doing something right! Though Chris and I are standing here
to receive the Award, the Sharing Gardens would not be possible
without all the contributions made through donors and volunteers. The
gardens thrive because they have become a hub for people
to contribute and connect; each from the level and ability that feels
right to them.
The land and water for the
two sites have been provided free-of-charge. The tools, fencing,
seeds, manure, spoiled hay, and everything else that we use to grow
food, was all donated directly, or purchased with money received
through gifts and grants. From mid-Spring through mid-Autumn
volunteers have come to the gardens as often as three times a week to
share in the joys and challenges of organic gardening. This award
truly goes to everyone who has been a part of the gardens' success.
As many of you know, the
food is grown collectively. There are no separate plots. This creates
ease for watering, pest management and seed-saving. The harvest is
shared with the volunteers and those who have contributed in some way
and the surplus is distributed through local food banks and
charities. We believe that no-one should ever go hungry, regardless of their circumstances, and so no one
is ever charged money for the food that is grown.
2011, in spite of the
cool, wet start, has been a very successful year. Our overall harvest
increased by about 30 percent. The total amount grown was over 4,600 pounds!
In one week alone we
harvested 583 pounds of tomatoes!
And our overall lettuce harvest was
close to 900 heads!
If
the people being fed
from the gardens had been able to afford to buy this organic produce
at the market it would have cost them at least: $14,500 dollars! As
Chris and I lived off our savings this year, and did not draw a stipend,
the season's budget was only about $2,000 dollars. (A pretty good
return on the investment!) (For a full report on amount of produce grown
or our operating expenses, send us an email.)
In the interests of local
food-security, part of our mission has been to grow-out and save seed
from heirloom varieties of plants that thrive in our region. This has
been a great year for seed-saving. Our seed-bank now contains over
three, five-gallon buckets of vigorous, pure, Heirloom seeds
especially adapted to local growing conditions.
So, what's next? We have a
10-point Mission Statement aimed towards local food self-reliance To read it, click here. Much of it is
already in motion. In coming seasons we would like to:
Build a greenhouse
– to extend our growing season and have the capacity to provide
“starts” to other Sharing-type gardens in the region.
Create small local
canneries – where people can learn and practice the art of food
preservation.
Expand the seed-saving
program to create a network of local gardeners and farmers.
Mentor other groups to
start Sharing Gardens in Junction City, Harrisburg and the
surrounding areas or beyond.
Ultimately we'd like to
start a “rural-arts” school – a place where people could
come to share their knowledge and experience of living close to the
land through offering hands-on workshops, and where people could
learn and transplant this knowledge back into the community.
The Sharing Gardens is a
non-profit charitable program and we can issue tax-receipts for any
donations. We can always put funds and materials to good use and we'd
also love to find a land-base for the school and gardens. Please be
in touch if you'd like to partner with us in this meaningful,
pioneering adventure.
We'd like to close this
presentation with a short story:
Once upon a time, there was a group
of people who found themselves in Hell. Now at first it didn't seem
like Hell. They sat together around a large table that was covered
with a sumptuous feast. Every favorite kind of food they could think
of was there. Gorgeous salads and cheeses, soups, nuts, casseroles
and pies. All the bounty of the Earth. The smells were intoxicating;
the colors – a true work of art. What made this Hell was that the
only utensils to eat the food were each three-feet long. No matter
how long they stretched their arms and craned back their necks, they
could get none of the food into their mouths and feed. They remained
starving in the midst of a feast.
There was another group
who found themselves in Heaven. Everything was the same: the
beautifully laid banquet, the exquisite choices, the sights and
aromas. Here too, the only utensils for eating were all three-feet
long. The only difference was, that instead of trying to feed only
themselves, the Heaven-crowd picked up the spoons and forks and began
feeding each other. And in this way, they all were able to share in
the feast. Thank you."
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