FARMINGTON – The Greater Franklin Food Council, in collaboration with LEAP’s Stone Soup Community Garden, is excited to announce the second year of the Gather and Grow Community Garden Program. This program will lead a cohort of gardeners through the growing season, from planting and fertilizing to preserving the harvest and cooking ideas.
The purpose of this program is to build a gardening learning community for people who want to learn how to grow food, don’t have access to land for gardening, or simply want to garden with friends.
“Last year, when we designed the Gather and Grow 2023 Program, our hope was to grow more than food and knowledge. Our hope was that through gardening together, we would create community and new, lasting friendships along the way; that is exactly what happened. We learned together, we helped each other when needed and we shared the palpable joy and the sense of accomplishment as we harvested our first radishes and carrots of the season. It was a wonderfully successful Gather and Grow 2023 and we are very excited about Gather and Grow 2024!”
The Gather and Grow cohort will meet weekly for open gardening hours with a Master Gardener Volunteer with one facilitated workshop per month. Topics will include soil fertility, seed saving, canning, succession planting, and more.
This program includes a LEAP Stone Soup Garden plot, seeds/starts, and all other supplies needed for gardening and food preservation. Workshops and gardening hours will be every Tuesday from 6pm to 7:30pm from May 14th to October 1st at LEAP Stone Soup Gardens, 482 Farmington Falls Rd. in Farmington. Registration is on a sliding scale $5-$50.
To apply, visit the Greater Franklin Food Council Website at www.greaterfranklinfoodcouncil.org. For questions email Rosemary Cummings at rosemarycummings2@gmail.com.
