| May ’09 |
| 9 |
| 12:00 PM |
Garden by the Sea ~ A Community Garden
It is not the first time the North Beach and its tight knit communities have seen difficult times. Moclips has seen more fires in its history than Smokey Bear can count. Floods, Storms and industry collapses have also left there mark but the one thing that has kept this community intact during good times and bad, is the strong unyielding relationships of the people who live here. Our economy is tattered, but our tenacity for self-reliance is not dampened.
In Ocean Shores, it is not hard to see the impact of a slow economy. Our Food Bank, Neighborhood Center and others service providers have seen their numbers more than double. Our youth and seniors have little opportunity to meet and exchange life’s lessons and share experiences. This then leads to the potential loss in that self-reliant spirit that has sustained the North Beach throughout history. Lastly, there are those who live in small places, lacking the space and resources for planting a garden. The wind, soil, cold and animals can be a strong deterrent for growing food.
Residents have come up with a solution that is attracting a lot of interest. Land owned by the Galilean Lutheran Church has been donated to get the concept of a community garden off the ground.
“It is all about relationships” said Pastor Bob Hoem at a recent community planning garden meeting. “Bringing people together is what the garden is all about. Growing and developing as a community is all that matters. Vegetables and flowers will flourish as a byproduct of relationships”. The community garden will show that we can all work and learn together.
Sushila Ravard, the gardens president sees the garden as a perfect place for forging not only intergenerational relationships but also international ones as well. “Ocean Shores is visited by over 4 million people a year” she said. “And they come to visit us from all over the world! What an outstanding way to meet, greet and learn from others in the world on how to create a sustainable gardening community”. In addition, it will result in a harvest that not only feeds local families but adds to the needs of our strapped community services like our local food bank (that will have a plot of there own).
The ground rules are simple. It will cost $20.00 to lease a 4ft. by 8ft. personal garden or you may be able to volunteer hours if you are not able to pay the fee. The personal gardens will be for the participant’s private use, to be properly planted, watered and weeded. The participant also will need to give back eight volunteer hours per year to the garden by doing various things for example: maintaining the paths, weeding, watering common areas, helping with educational classes which will be given by the local Master Gardeners Association, or helping with special fund raising events, etc.
A master plan will be available for viewing at the site on Ground Breaking Day, scheduled for May 9th, 2009 at 12:00pm behind the Galilean Lutheran Church.
All visitors are welcome to view the work in progress. A short ground breaking ceremony and celebration will include garden information, volunteer, membership and plot rental sign-ups, music and food (provided by our very own Young Life and Lions Club). The Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer any questions about what is best to grow for your first crop and other helpful gardening tips.
Besides the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetables, gardeners are encouraged to grow flowers too, but most of all gardeners will be supported to grow relationships and have fun doing it.
