Community garden becomes 'growing reality'

CLEVELAND - Caring Hands Ministries in Cleveland is growing - growing tomatoes, peppers, beans, greens, watermelons, squash, blueberries, and more thanks to a donation of the use of 7 acres from Lynne Mclung owner of Moonshadows Gardens.

The garden has been in the wishing and planning stage for two to three years.

The garden will provide food for people in need and be a way of teaching people about organic gardening and healthy eating . It will also provide opportunities for other outdoor education experiences especially for young people in White and Habersham Counties. Organizers hope it will also help encourage people in home gardening whether that home garden is half their yard or a container or two by the door.

Lafaye and Terry Murphy, Community Projects Directors for Caring Hands Ministries, point out that for a lot of people everything they eat comes here by truck to the grocery store and then they have to spend money for gas to go to the store and buy it.  the way the price of gas is going up gardens both the community garden and home gardens make more sense every day Lafaye Murphy said.  It is another way for people in our community to be self reliant and to help their neighbors .

The Murphys also direct the Caring Hands Ministries Community Christmas Dinner and many of the volunteers who have helped make the dinner a success for the past eight years are also helping with the garden. But more volunteers are needed to help with preparing the garden, transplanting blueberry bushes, planting vegetables and fruit, weeding and other upkeep, helping with fundraising for the garden, and pray for the garden s success.

As the garden produces, volunteers will also be needed to help pick produce and take it to people in need.

Lynne Mclung who has a degree in agriculture and experience in organic farming; Michael Harris of the Extension Service; and volunteers who grew up on farms are sharing their know how with both community garden volunteers and those who want to know more about having a garden at their home.

"This is one more way of people in the community coming together to help each other and themselves," Terry Murphy said.  "Like the Caring Hands Ministries Community Christmas Dinner there s something anyone can do who wants to help and with everyone working together we ll have a lot of fun, get tired, but be really happy about what we are doing."

Between 75 and 80 percent of what the garden produces will be given to people in need. The rest, especially watermelons, will be available for sale locally to help the garden be self-sustaining. In addition to Mclung s providing the land and some of the equipment to help get it ready for planting local farms, businesses, and individuals, have helped with seeds, pallets to frame compost piles, tools, labor, and money. Caring Hands Ministries also received a grant from Americans Helping Americans to help people with food and part of that will help the community garden project.

Anyone who wants to help with the Community Garden in any way or just wants more information can contact Caring Hands Ministries at 706-219-1980 or [email protected] or call the Murphys directly at 706 809-9824.