This delightful garden area, whose keepers represent an energetic conglomeration of people from across the world, has become a unique and special expression of community giving. Encouraged by the management at FermiLab, these physicists and other employees of all ages, who hail from countries such as Taiwan, New Zealand, Russia, and India, spend time together in the healthy presence of nature. They all give advice, share friendship, and, most importantly, keep themselves emotionally and physically healthy by being a part of this unique experience.
Some of the gardeners have been tending these plots for 35 years. Many have special and heartwarming stories about the love they have for nature and the passion they feel for touching the earth and growing food.
Each gardener harvests nearly enough fresh produce to feed their entire extended family—from spouse to children to as far down the line as great-grandchildren. They preserve, freeze, and dry some of the produce for future consumption, but most of them also give-away hundreds of pounds of fresh food every year to neighbors and local food pantries that desperately need their support.
Flowers are abundant as well, and are grown simply for their beauty. There is even an orchard that was started over a dozen years ago, which produces apples, pears, and plums.
Simply put, the FermiLab Garden Club is truly an inspiration filled with love and caring. It is an example of what a small number of people can do when they come together to make a difference for their community.
Across the United States, more and more businesses and neighbors are doing their part to build community through gardening during these difficult economic times. Organizations like AmpleHarvest.org , for example, have discovered that American gardeners were struggling to find food pantries that would take fresh vegetables and formed the not-for-profit organization to help connect the hungry with local gardeners.
According to AmpleHarvest, “An estimated 100 billion pounds of food, enough to totally eliminate hunger, is thrown away annually in the United States.” AmpleHarvest enables neighbors in need to obtain garden fresh produce that might be left standing unharvested due to over production in home and community gardens. We can all help by registering food pantries on this website.
If you have extra garden bounty, or if you have food products in your home that would otherwise be discarded, please stop and think about your neighbors in need. Better yet, organize a food drive at your place of business—fresh veggies included—and make a difference for your community. Still better yet, build a garden filled with love, a la FermiLab. You just might be providing a lifetime of health and wellness for those who sorely need help.
(More on the FermiLab gardeners, including photos, can be viewed on the writer’s website, www.gardeningnude.com).
