Livingston County Hunger Council Expands Communty Gardens, Produce; Needs Volunteers

The Livingston County Hunger Council is pleased to announce that the community gardens in Livingston County are growing. There were 5 new gardens added to the network this year, bringing the total of community gardens to 12. More gardens and new partnerships in the community are enabling the Livingston County Hunger Council to expand delivery of produce to more locations in the community, which is its goal. The 12 gardens are located across Livingston County. Kay Simmons, Livingston Council Hunger Council Community Garden coordinator stated,  “We hope to have Hunger Council garden produce available to even more partner agencies and public locations this summer. Last year we did 12-18 deliveries. I’d like to double that amount this year.”

The Victory Garden at Brighton NC Machine Corporation has an “Adopt a Row Program”. Three rows have already been adopted by Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy, Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club and two garden volunteers. The Victory Garden still has rows that need to be tended to. The work involves weekly weeding, but once harvesting takes place, volunteers will need to work twice a week to keep up with the demand.

The Livingston County Hunger Council has also partnered with the Brighton Garden Club at the Victory Garden. The Brighton Garden Club has planted perennials in the entrance to the garden and are also working to build a communication board. The Livingston Sunrise Rotary Club has agreed to build a shed with an awning for the garden, and the Brighton High School National Honor Society will be partnering the Hunger Council as well to help sell pumpkins this fall as a fundraiser.

Volunteers are needed to support the work of the Livingston County Hunger Council with either gardening or delivering produce to distribution locations throughout the county. Individuals are also needed to help stock produce in the Shared Harvest Pantry at Gleaners. Those interested in volunteering should call Kay Simmons at 810-986.6406 or send her an e-mail at ksimmons@gcfb.org.

The following items are on the “Community Garden Wish List. If anyone in the community has items to donate, they should contact Kay Simmons. Items include:

• hoe, stirrup hoe
• garden forks
• long handled cultivator
• hand rake, combo hand rake and hoe
• shovel
• screw drivers
• wire cutters
• pliers, needle nose pliers
• hammer
• mallet levels
• garden knife, scissors, box cutter razor blades
• 100’+ tape measure
• garden hoses, spray nozzles for garden hose
• twine/ropes
• gloves
• tarps
• landscape staples
• tomato cages (small and large), tomato stakes
• “Rubbermaid” type storage bins (various sizes)
• 6’ metal fence posts
• sprayer
• 6-gallon pails
• old carpet
• canopy, awning
• plastic mulch rolls/landscaping fabric
• compost
• string trimmer
• tractor
• tiller
• plow
• disc
• produce containers (packaging)
• gallon (or larger) plastic bags to pack produce
• labels
• seedlings (tomato, pepper, eggplant, onion, potato, herbs, fruit cabbage, cucumber)
• cover crop seed (clover, rye grass)
• gas cards
• gift cards to Meier Flowerland, Specialty Growers, Bordines, Home Depot, Big Acres, Johnny’s Seeds, etc.
• lumber, nails, screws, paint, etc. for small building projects
• watering cans, irrigation supplies
• straw