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Wednesday, September 3, 2003 Harvesting for the hungry Local master gardeners grow crops for local charities
By MONROE
ROARK Tucked away in the middle of downtown Fayetteville is a special garden that reaches across the county. A group of master gardeners organized by the Fayette County Extension Service is working a piece of county-owned land behind the Hollingsworth House and the county administration complex, and the harvest has been plentiful. For the past several years, local growers have participated in the “Plant a Row for the Hungry” program, in which the crops are tended by volunteers and the resulting bounty given to needy organizations in the area. A group of rookie master gardeners, led by Barry Braender, is spearheading this year’s effort. Braender said that he was asked to organize the work this summer after he and several other participants completed their master gardener training in April. They come out twice a week and tend to the site, which has responded with pleasing results. A variety of crops are springing up out of the ground, including cucumbers, okra, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn (400 pounds so far this year) zucchini and beans. “A lot of this is a second crop,” said Braender. “The rain has been good to us.” The group starting planting April 15, after a couple of weeks of work getting the ground ready. The crops are rotated, and some fall vegetables, such broccoli and turnip greens, are to be planted soon. About 1,400 pounds of produce has been brought in so far this year, Braender said. It has gone to the Fayette Samaritans, the Fayette Youth Protection Homes, the senior center and the domestic violence shelter, to name a few destinations. Work will continue at the site until November or December.
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