After a holiday break, masked, distanced volunteers returned to the Carolina Community Garden (CCG) last week. They cleared and prepped beds, planted spinach seedlings, uncovered and recovered row covers, and harvested 86 pounds of Chinese cabbage, turnips, radishes, mustard greens, lettuce, kale, collards, green onions, carrots, and the first beets of the season. That produce was then distributed to 20 housekeepers and to families through TABLE.
Simone Speizer, a CCG volunteer, offered this reflection on what it means to be able to be at the garden during the pandemic:
“The garden is a place of resilience, of growth in the face of difficulties, and never more so than during the pandemic. As we’ve come together, six feet apart, to battle weeds and plant new seeds and harvest crops for those in need during the last few months, I’ve been struck by the relentless commitment of so many of the volunteers to keeping this work going, to contributing to the community and the planet. Spending time with such passionate people has been rejuvenating, a source of hope and energy amidst the challenges of this year. . . Like the plants in the garden, I draw energy from compost. Whether I’m pounding pumpkins to pieces, chopping up broccoli stalks, or just shoveling, when I’m working in the compost, I am grounded and invigorated. So much of what has happened this year has felt out of my control, suffering filling the world that I am powerless to prevent. But when working in the compost, I know that my chopping and turning will ultimately prevail in converting something unwanted and discarded into something nourishing and productive.”
Interested in volunteering with the Carolina Community Garden? Learn more about our COVID-19 safety precautions and sign up here.