Northborough Community Garden Addresses Food Insecurity

NORTHBOROUGH, MA — While the coronavirus pandemic has brought change to virtually all aspects of life, one spring ritual has not changed - the planting of the St. Rose Community Garden. For the thirteenth consecutive year, volunteers gathered on Saturday, May 30th to get the garden growing.

Under bright sunny skies, the garden took shape as the volunteers planted rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, summer and winter squashes, eggplant, lettuce and green beans. The planting crew did look a little different this year donning masks in addition to their gardening gloves and working six feet apart. The planting ended with a blessing of the garden by St. Rose pastor, Father James Houston.

All the vegetables produced by the garden will be donated to the Northborough Food Pantry and Northborough Senior Housing. The need for the produce from the garden has never been greater given the large increase in families and individuals facing food insecurity due to the economic downturn.

The garden was initiated in 2008 by then high school parishioner, Will Deady, as his Eagle Scout project. A committee of parishioners has continued the planning and coordination of the garden which relies on weekly volunteers to plant, weed, harvest, and deliver the vegetables to the Food Pantry. The Food Pantry clients and senior housing residents appreciate the abundance of fresh produce which provides a healthy alternative to canned foods that are high in sugar and salt. The name of the garden, the St. Rose Community Garden, says it all - it is a garden created by a community to serve the greater community.