A new community garden in Masterton has strengthened connections with local families and helped a problem with late night drinking on the church grounds.
The Rev Geraldine Coates of St Luke’s Union Church says the garden has been a joint project, mainly with the Masterton Christian Child Care Programme, which the church has supported since it was set up in 1982. The programme offers socially and economically disadvantaged families low-cost childcare, social welfare assistance and education programmes for parents.
Geraldine says the idea of a garden came in early 2009 in response to the economic downturn, from a “poverty action group” to which all community leaders and social agencies were invited.
She realised that the strip of lawn behind the church, which was only used for shortcuts or illicit weekend drinking, was a potential site.
The congregation had already given up the front lawn of the church to the childcare centre, so there were some reservations. But after discussion they approved the project, with parishioners and MCCP families working together to create the garden.
Many other groups have become involved, including Rotary, through connections within the MCCP and the congregation.
The initial planting was funded by the Wairarapa District Health Board, as part of its healthy families initiative.
In late November 2009, the garden was “full of cabbages and cauliflowers and beans”. The produce is given to the 40 families who come to the child care centre, Geraldine says, and future excesses will be given to the local foodbank.
As well as giving the families access to fresh vegetables, it helps the children learn to eat them through being involved in the growing process, she says.
“Many of the families at the Centre live in rented accommodation and move frequently, so do not have the opportunity otherwise to grow their own food.”
The St James’ congregation has about 70 people at worship each week, and are now very supportive of the garden, which along with the childcare centre has created a strong visual statement, Geraldine says.
“The public can actually see the church being involved in this project. I think that’s very important.”
She says the garden has also provided a space where parents from the childcare centre and people from the congregation can work alongside each other. And it has given a chance to involve the fathers of the children, who took an active part in the setting-up process
“To ‘help the planet’ we have also tried to keep the garden as organic as possible, through a worm farm and collection of rain water and composting.”
The well-established community garden at East Taieri Church, in Mosgiel, has been driven by congregation member Ruth Rivett-Cuthbert.
Five years ago, Ruth moved to Mosgiel from West Otago, where she had had a big garden, to a much smaller space. She says she “needed some gardening” and noticed some land below the church. This area had previously been used as part of an agricultural training centre, was fenced and had a shade house, although it had become very overgrown.
The “ET Cares Community Garden” became a new ministry of the church in 2005, with a committee of 20 people involved.
The area, which measures about 25 metres by 10 metres, was cleared. The initial crop of potatoes went to the foodbank, which continues to receive all surplus produce.
In the first year, children helped out with the planting, with sometimes “higgledy-piggledy” results, Ruth says, but some of their mums have remained involved.
“What we really wanted was people to come and work in the garden and encourage young members of the church to learn about it and use the produce.”
Broadbeans, rhubarb, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuces, silverbeet, corn, leeks and tomatoes were growing in the “very full” garden late last year.
The produce is left at the church entrance on Sundays for people to help themselves. Ruth says small packages of different veges are made up, which older people find helpful.
Some produce is also harvested on a Tuesday for the midweek Mainly Music parents.
In 2009, part of the garden was extended and fenced off for Arahina, which is a Christian training centre that provides alternative education services, community service to local public schools, budget advice, internships and counselling. Arahina brings children after school and teaches them to garden; they also plan to use their produce for cooking classes.
Ruth says about 10 people from the original committee are still involved, but they are trying to recruit some more volunteers at the moment.
She describes the group as “really enthusiastic”. “They’re wonderful at coming down in their spare time, we just want a few more of them.” While a number of the gardeners are retired, there are also some younger people involved.
The garden has small budget from the church that funds seed purchases, with Ruth raising the seedlings at home.
Next year they hope to start saving seeds from the garden for future planting.
By Amanda Wells