Fresh Produce Feeds the Community at The Salvation Army in London

A bountiful crop of vegetables is rooted deep in the community garden at The Salvation Army Hillcrest Community Church. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, zucchini, parsley, kale and basil from the garden go to the church’s food bank and cooking programs.

Volunteers helped weed and water the garden and will harvest the crop at the end of the growing season. Last year, the garden yielded 170 pounds of food and this year, the hope is to harvest at least 200 pounds of fresh vegetables.

“We get a very small amount of fresh produce donated to food bank. This is great way to get more fresh food to the people that come to the food bank,” says London Community and Family Services Outreach Worker Nicole Pelcz.

“Many people are extremely excited that we have this harvest available, and the garden allows us to help meet the increasing demand.”

Seeds and plants for the garden were donated to the community garden by Salvation Army mission partners Friends of the London Civic Garden Complex.

Also at Hillcrest, eight people in the Neighbourhoods Grow Garden Club looked after their own raised garden bed this summer. Each club member weeded, watered and tended the bed during the eight-week program, taking home everything grown by their own hands, including eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas and spinach.

Each week, Nicole would lead a different topic that included general gardening, soil types, watering, composting, pruning, pollination, proper produce storage and greenhouse growing.

In the last session, beekeeper Bernie Wiehle from Wiehle’s Wildflower Honey in Rodney came in to talk about bees, how they help with food production and how honey is made.

Program participants came from the Hillcrest area of London and were interested in learning how to grow their own food but were living in an apartment or did not have space in their yard.

“They really enjoyed it. A couple club members brought friends to see the garden and show what they are growing. Everyone was really proud, especially participants who did not know how to grow their own food,” Nicole says.

The Neighbourhoods Grow Garden Club will return to The Salvation Army Hillcrest Community Church next spring. Space in the garden plots is available on a first come, first served basis by calling 519-660-5884 ext.101.