The South Park Community Garden project has a kick- off event June 7 from 2 – 6 p.m for interested volunteers. The event will take place at the garden location, 6th and Front St. in the Town of Fairplay. All interested in volunteering or interested in the project are welcome.
The kick-off will be followed by a potluck informational meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. at the American Legion in Fairplay. The theme of the potluck is tacos. Creative takes on the theme are welcome.
Volunteer opportunities include helping to plant the starters (bring starters of organically started plants), donating, signing up to volunteer a few hours a week or month for watering, moving dirt and rocks, organizing materials, building a sample raised bed, promoting the event and garden, finding more children and families to participate, growing education, raking, meeting with folks and organizing social media/website teams, watering teams, workshop teams, marketplace teams, finding business sponsors, fence building teams and marketplace teams for the summer.
Volunteers are welcome at the kick-off event and all summer.
The community garden launched in 2021 and recently moved under the umbrella of the Mountain Community Outreach Preparedness and Sustainability Organization, whose work, like their name, focuses on community outreach, community preparedness and sustainability.
“We meet monthly, the first Wednesday at the American Legion,” Kimberly Gregory, co-leader of the MCOPS organization said. “We always have a small workshop and share food together.”
Workshops include anything from sprouting, first aid, winter safety bags, safe use of firearms, sourdough starters, home schooling, canning, freeze drying, water filtration, sewing, survival camping, gardening, and more.
“We recently did a workshop and community forum on sustainable organic farming,” Gregory said. “Anyone is welcome to also do a small or longer workshop.”
Gregory continued, “One of the goals of the garden is to teach people how to grow their own food outside or inside. We are looking for leaders of the community garden, which is also now a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.”
Brandi Arts, master gardener and workshop designer/leader, is heading up the garden project leadership team, as well as leading workshops. The plots in the garden vary in size and will all be organic.
More information about the community garden project can also be found on their Facebook page: South Park Community Garden. Their email address is southparkcommunitygarden@gmail.com.
