Victory Garden Offers First Yield For Food Pantry

By Kendra Bobowick

“Now, my dears,” said old Mrs Rabbit one morning, “you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr McGregor’s garden…” —The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Nine pounds of lettuce and more than a pound of arugala mark the new community Victory Garden’s first yield last week.

“It’s growing!” said coordinator Harvey Pessin, regarding the 34 rows in Fairfield Hills planted and tended by volunteers to benefit FAITH Food Pantry. Pleased with the fresh produce, he said, “[Food pantry clients] are used to canned food.

“They can instead look forward to fresh lettuce, tomatoes, corn, herbs, pepper, and a centerpiece. We have one row that is just flowers so they can have flowers on the table — feeding the soul,” he added.

Tended by volunteer teams or individuals, the rows are doing well, “beyond my wildest dreams!” he said. Although people started slowly, their rows are growing in. The green thumbs have also turned from the soil to decorating. Commenting on the friendly competition of decorative themes, Mr Pessin laughed, “They are trying to top each other.” The decorations are creative and reflect the team’s personality, he said.

“The Victory Garden is really a great place; if you haven’t been there, go,” said Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold Tuesday, during her department meeting. Her department and member Jan Brookes are participating in garden rows.

Participants are also making friends, trading gardening knowledge, and making a lesson of the garden for younger members. “Kids are learning where food comes from,” Mr Pessin said. Noting the 34 rows cut into an open field earlier this year, he said, “I had encouraged people to form teams, put a stake in the ground, and own a row.”

Groups of young moms and children, master gardeners, individuals, and others including teams from C.H. Booth Library and the Parks and Recreation Department are tending rows.

With so many helping hands and plant donations from local businesses, including hundreds from Planter’s Choice and Southbury’s Sara Blersch of Daffodil Hill Growers, Mr Pessin had more plants than he has room in the garden. On Wednesday evening, June 15, he held a “potting party,” with a few volunteers to help him pot extra plants, which he will provide to the food pantry. Anita DeFonte, the “compost guru,” provided the pots.

Among those helping to pot hundreds of extra plants or dropping off supplies were Dottie Evans of The Garden Club of Newtown; Kristen Solt, who is cultivating a row with her family; Sheila Sabin and Terri Champagne, who are also cultivating a row; and Ms Mangold and family.

Earlier this week Mr Pessin had a taste of how such a donation would be received: “I went to the food pantry with the potted plants and within minutes they were gone. It’s touching to see people take something they can do for themselves.”

Pointing to the mounded top soil, Mr Pessin thanked the Parks and Recreation staff for first clearing sod from the field for the garden, then saving it for compost. He also thanked the department for providing large amounts of top soil.