MOCKSVILLE — Grow where you are planted.
That’s a lesson in faith, and in actuality for a group of volunteers working on a community garden at St. Francis of Assisi Church.
The St. Francis Faith and Fellowship Garden began in 2014 as wood boxes build by parishioners and Boy Scouts. The seven wooden boxes make up an “Outreach Cross.” Additional boxes are rented by parishioners to grow food for their families and to donate.
The garden is prospering thanks to fundraisers, private donations, two grants from the Diocese of Charlotte, a Knights of Columbus grant and many volunteer hours.
The St. Francis Faith and Fellowship Garden was started with a simple purpose: to bring people together, using available resources to grow food naturally for their families and neighbors in need.
By doing so, the hope of those tending the garden is to promote fellowship and good stewardship while benefiting parishioners as well as those in the surrounding communities.
The community garden’s outreach produce is donated to parish outreach beneficiaries as well as to The Storehouse for Jesus located in Mocksville.
From the beginning, the volunteers’ goal has been to increase the “outreach” donations. In 2015, the garden donated 212 pounds of produce. By 2017, donations totaled 409 pounds. And last year, the garden produced 615 pounds.
The garden has expanded and upgraded to raised-bed vinyl boxes. Not only are the boxes aesthetically pleasing and maintenance free, the height aids in weed control and makes gardening much more pleasant for the gardeners.
The 2019 growing season has been exceptionally good, with nearly 1,000 pounds of food donated as of September.
The weather cooperated, and the garden’s improvements have helped increase production. These improvements include adding 12 new vinyl boxes, mulch around the boxes, a new rear gate for access and new varieties of plants were planted to expand the growing season from March to December.
Produce grown this year included broccoli, beans, beets, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, leeks, lettuce, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes (including sweet), rutabaga, squash (zucchini and yellow), spinach and turnips.
The community garden also has a butterfly garden, and three mason bee boxes, located within the garden, to assist with pollination.
The St. Francis Faith and Fellowship Garden is fulfilling its purpose thanks to the hard work, commitment and generosity of so many people, as well as the quality products and beautiful space provided for gardening.
— Article submitted by David Taylor