It’s Flashback Friday here on the Soil3 blog. You may have heard that we’re giving away 100 of our Doc’s Raised Garden Kits to families and community gardens in need.
During this season of giving, it warms our hearts to hear from so many people who are sharing love with their neighbors by nominating them to receive a kit to grow their own healthy produce.
It’s been 4 years since the last time we gave away 100 Doc’s Kits during the holiday season. This week, we’re bringing you the inspiring nominations of three organizations who received raised bed gardens through our 2013 giveaway.
"The Holly Springs Food Bank is relatively new and growing. Over the past few years it has been created by hardworking volunteers to meet the food needs of individuals in southwest Wake County/Holly Springs. They have provided food partly through a garden, and I would love to see some help for them with this initiative. More fresh vegetables for those who need food!"
“Alexander Youth Network is a nonprofit organization that is an orphanage for kids. These kids range in age from 3-18 and are always looking for something new and energizing. Just a for instance my father (who is very active at Alexander) was telling me a story about his lunch buddy who after they eat lunch they go for a long walk on the grounds. He was taken back in the woods by a child who wanted badly to show him a surprise. He and his friend had found an old tire and a piece of old rope and made a tire swing, that they were very proud of. Upon inspection my dad found it to be very unsafe. He then volunteered to come back in a couple of days and help make a new tire swing in the woods. The kid was so excited when my dad returned to put up the swing there were about 10 kids that wanted to go out and help. With permission he took them out and allowed them to help put up the swing. He was telling me how proud the kids were that they had done it themselves with a little help and how big an impact something that small was going to make in there lives. I think this garden kit would provide the same opportunity for these children to get out and use there hands to build something that they can turn around an plant full of winter vegetables and then take care of and watch grow into a mature plant that they can eat. Also it would get kids involved in growing and trying new things. Thank you for your consideration of the Alexander Youth Network.”
“Several kids from the Dawson County 4-H Club came to me and expressed interest in starting a garden. They want to grow vegetables to sell at our local farmers market and use the proceeds to fund 4-H activities.
The 4-Hers were informed recently that a shortage of funding for the Extension office meant that most 4-H activities would no longer be free of charge. Instead of complaining, their first instinct was to find a way to make up some of that money. The 4-H officers had a meeting to brainstorm through several ideas on how to raise funds. One of the suggestions was to build a raised bed garden and sell the produce at the local market.
This raised bed kit would allow us to start a garden on the grounds of the Dawson County Extension office. It would be a great experience for the children to be present for the entire process, start to finish. Most of the 4-Hers have limited experience with farm work or gardening, so this would teach them skills they would have otherwise never discovered.
We also hope to continue the garden with other incoming 4-Hers. This would be a project that would continue to give back to multiple years of 4-H members.”
Did your heart grow three sizes (like the Grinch) while reading those stories? If not, I’m not even sure hot cocoa could warm your heart! It’s such a joy to see how folks are improving their community one garden at a time. It’s our pleasure to help them achieve that goal.
While we’ve already received and accepted several nominations for the 2017 giveaway, we want to hear more from you! Click the picture below to read this year’s nominations.