Back to the land
This photo shows a plot shared by Deb Rice and Barbara Abraham at the Sustainable Woodstock community garden at Billings Farm. (Barbara Abraham Photo)
Growing your own food and bringing it into your kitchen is a tradition that goes back a long way in Vermont.
In the past few months, there’s been a broadly renewed focus on those values, and community gardens have been a big part of it. I’ve been proud to see that first-hand, with my family and I having a garden plot in the Sustainable Woodstock community garden at King Farm. It’s one of two community gardens Sustainable Woodstock oversees, the other being at Billings Farm. I believe such sustainable local food sources are crucial, and they will be a key part of helping with food security on a regional level going forward. I’m grateful for all the tremendous attributes these gardens bring into the mix; they are, each one, a wonderful gift.
We’ve found our community garden plot to be a tremendous educational experience. Not only is it instructive for me as a first-time gardener, but it’s also a wonderful asset to my 14-year-old daughter’s education. Science, history, math — these all tie into the gardening experience and offer unique ways to learn from it. I admit, I’m appreciating more than ever the different stages of gardening and how they link together to grow the lovely vegetables we’re now enjoying. From soil to seed to yield, it’s all so worth it.
Another benefit is getting outside and getting some exercise amid nature’s splendor. As a journalist who has spent much of his working life typing in a chair (like I am as I write this), this is a good change for me. I’ve also enjoyed the family togetherness element of this effort, as we help tend the plot and keep track of its flourishing inhabitants. If one lesson stands out in my mind, it’s that squash and zucchini grow fast — really, really fast.
My main takeaway is that I’m grateful for the overall experience, going back to the land using an important food source just a short distance from home. Wherever you live, chances are you have a local group nearby working on a sustainable food-source project of some kind, especially these days. Reach out to them, get involved, and you may find yourself growing local food, too. It’s a fulfilling journey, and an experience worth cultivating.
— Gareth Henderson
