Methodist churches add community garden
GREEN SPRINGS – Green Springs United Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church in Clyde, which are functioning in a ministry partnership under the leadership of Rev. Sheryl Seitz, have found a way to also partner with the public by creating a community garden at the Green Springs church.
The garden is funded by a Creating Healthy Communities grant from the Sandusky County Health Department.
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Volunteers from both churches and the community gathered June 14 at Green Springs UMC to plant vegetables and herbs in the front of the church. Small plots and pots were filled with a variety of plants, including tomatoes, various peppers, zucchini and herbs like basil and rosemary.
Looking for weeding and watering volunteers
“This was a flower garden. We pulled out the flowers and are filling it with vegetables,” Seitz said. “We’re looking for volunteers from the community to weed and water, and in the fall, the community can take what they want.”
Seitz said the churches were approached about the garden by Laura Bogard, an RN and health educator with the health district.
“This church was a good fit. Now that the grocery store closed, there’s a real need,” Seitz said. “This is just one way we can partner with the community. We can provide for your table.”
The Sandusky County Creating Healthy Communities Program targets three primary communities: The Clyde-Green Springs area, the City of Fremont and Sandusky County as a whole.
The grant funded a community garden at Hayes Memorial UMC in Fremont last summer, and it funds the Sandusky County Public Health on-site garden. Produce from the Public Health garden is bagged and placed in the lobby where clients are free to take what they need.
“We wanted to establish a community garden in the Clyde-Green Springs community this year, and Green Springs United Methodist Church was really interested in doing one,” Bogard said. “We are continuing to offer programs like this to increase access to food and increase active living.”
In addition to the Green Springs, Public Health and Hayes gardens, which are funded by the health department grant, there is a Countryside Drive Community Garden that was developed by and is managed by Sandusky/Ottawa Master Gardener volunteers.
Plots for rent at Countryside Drive Community Garden
The Countryside Drive Community Garden offers plots for rent to community members. Participants are eligible for reimbursement of half the plot fee if they assist with other plots. For more information, call Viola Purdy at 567-201-0023.
Bogard was on site to help volunteers purchase plants and create the Green Springs garden June 14.
“We purchased the plants from Doebel’s Flowers in Clyde, because we wanted to keep things local,” Bogard said. “Doebel’s has been very, very nice about helping us plan the garden.”
Volunteers of all ages showed up to create a garden in front of Green Springs UMC.
“We can’t do some of the bigger plants like corn, but if there’s enough interest from the community, we can extend the garden next year,” Seitz said.
For more information on the Creating Healthy Communities funded gardens, call Sandusky County Public Health at 419- 334-6377.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at [email protected].
