Home & Garden
Solar Power Now Helps Concord’s Sycamore Garden Growers Access Water
The garden, located on the campus of NHTI, the city's community college, has a new water supply system to assist New American gardeners.
CONCORD, NH — New American gardeners who grow found on the grounds of a local community college now have access to a specialized pump that will assist them in watering their plants.
A pump installed at the Sycamore Community Garden uses solar panels to assist in gaining access to well water. The panels and water tanks were approved and installed by a number of people including the garden’s board, gardeners, engineers, and the school’s maintenance team.
The solar panels power a pump that accesses well water and delivers it to tanks installed around the garden. The gardeners then access the water from the tanks.
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Ruth Heath, the president of the nonprofit board that oversees the garden, said the gardens help families ease food insecurity and improve access to locally grown, healthy, and organic food.
“This unique, solar-powered system will allow the gardeners at all 168 plots equitable access to water to irrigate their vegetable gardens,” she said. “Previously, many gardeners had to carry water up to 200 feet to do so.”
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Heath said the gardeners grow beans, corn, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, and other vegetables at the garden.
Another board member, Dr. Whitney Howarth, said the garden was a great opportunity for her child to meet with and learn from others.
“I realize that in their countries of origin, many of our gardeners probably had to walk over a mile to get water, so this project makes me grateful for what we’ve built here as a community,” she said. “And I love the idea that my little girl can come here to the garden to play with Nepali and Congolese children — to learn about growing veggies and about growing community together.”
The board is requesting supporters make a donation to the Sycamore. Community Garden during the NH GIVES effort between June 7, and June 8, linked here.
For more information about the garden, visit its website, linked here.
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