In March I attended my first Swain County Community Garden workday to prep our plot. The Southwest Community College is allowing the Swain County Extension office and volunteer gardeners to plant the garden in a flat spot out back that I heard used to be a baseball field years back when it was the Almond School. Being a city girl, I had no idea what to expect, but I put on my raggediest jeans, boots and sunscreen, filled my water jug and headed over to the garden.
It was a warm sunny day and the smell of the manure was surprisingly fresh and earthy, not unpleasant at all like I kind of expected. I decided to participate, since my dream home on top of the mountain is a nightmare in gardening terms, built on rock surrounded by trees, which allow for little sun. And I want to have more control over what I'm putting on the table. I eat a spinach salad most days. So when they took spinach off the shelves for months, I knew I needed to take matters into my own hands for many reasons. The fresher the vegetables you eat, the more nutrients you're getting. The average produce travels 1,500 miles from dirt to grocery, which greatly contributes to global warming. Not to mention over 50% of our household garbage is food packaging, which can be avoided altogether when picking veggies from your own garden.
There are many proven benefits to community gardens. I'm thrilled to be a part of this trend. And imagine, producing your own food. What a concept! If anyone is interested in being a part of the garden in the future, feel free to email me and I’ll make sure Renee Cassidy and Christine Bredencamp from the extension office put you on the list.
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