New Around the Mission

Church’s Community Garden Feeds Bodies and Spirits

April 28, 2011

There’s something therapeutic about getting on your knees and digging in the dirt. John Yurko made that discovery after growing beans in All Saints Anglican Church’s community garden in Newport, North Carolina.

“Gardening certainly can be a spiritual experience, as well,” he says. “And it gives you a value for the earth. It allows you to take care of the earth better.”

The parish started the garden in 2009 to promote camaraderie within the church and community, as well as help feed lower-income families. Now each spring, John, a groundskeeper for the church, tills the garden soil on his tractor to prepare it for planting. Six to eight gardeners, a few from outside the church, stake off areas within the garden for their own crops, herbs and flowers. In the summer months, John, along with fellow groundskeeper Dick Wray, mows around the garden—which occupies about an acre on the church’s 12½ acre property—and waters the plants from church office’s well and pumphouse.

As All Saints harvests peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers and everything in between, they give plenty of it away. Gardeners leave vegetables for the residents of a neighboring trailer park to come pick up. They also share produce with their neighbors and friends. At All Saints’ soup and sandwich dinners, it’s not uncommon to hear, “That’s lettuce from my garden.”

Working the soil also grows the gardeners themselves. One gardener, in his early 60s, was almost a recluse when a church member invited him to plant in the community garden. Now the garden is his principle activity.

“He rides his bike over from his trailer about a half a mile from the church,” Dick says. “He’s out and doing a great deal more.”

Seeing the garden in action, the community supports All Saints’ efforts to grow and share food. This year, The Friendly Market, one of Newport’s local businesses, donated the plants for the garden. The Local Food Network, a community garden association in North Carolina, counts All Saints among its members.

“The community garden is an avenue to serve the community,” Dick says. “It’s using our land to benefit our neighbors. Hopefully we’re also showing the love of Christ and people will be more open to the gospel.”

Learn more about All Saints Anglican on their website.

Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Faith in Action