Submitted by Bob Kell
People, from wherever they are, feel close ties to the earth. There is joy in working the earth, sowing seeds, and watching a garden grow. It is that natural tie to the soil that brought together a very international group in response to the Faribault Diversity Coalition’s invitation to share in a Community Garden project this summer in Faribault. On Saturday, July 7, the group gathered to socialize over ice cream and to celebrate their accomplishments so far.
The garden has almost as much diversity among its gardeners as it has in its vegetables. Twenty families from Guatemala, Somalia, Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the local mainstream garden together on a plot provided by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Each family planted and tends its own section. Donations from local garden centers and funds from the Blue Cross and Foldcraft Foundations helped to get the garden established.
The project’s purpose has been two-fold: to provide additional food resources for the families involved and to foster cross-cultural exchange among the community’s members. The yield of fresh vegetables will be considerable, when all is said and done. Tomatoes, corn, zucchini, radishes, onions, beans, potatoes, watermelons, peppers, and more are well on their way. The connection between the participants is also bearing fruit of its own. People who began as strangers now exchange broad smiles and friendly waves, finding a way to communicate even where a common language does not exist. Those fruits, it is hoped, will last even after the tomatoes are gone.
This project will continue. We learned much this first year. We are looking for a permanent garden location for the next few years. We will start our own seeds earlier next spring so that we have starter plants ready to go. Some would like to get more involved with the farmer’s market. We can only expect a more productive harvest next year.
Our thanks to all who have helped. For more information, contact Bob at 507-333-5036 or welcome@hickorytech.net.
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