The “Giving Gardens” of Aberdeen is a community food security project involving the Social Action Committees of Temple Beth Ahm, Temple Shalom, and the Food Pantry of the Matawan United Methodist Church. Each synagogue has a “Giving Garden” on the synagogue’s property. A number of people are involved in this great project including synagogue members, Middletown Garden Club members, students, scouts, and other adults from surrounding towns and communities, as well as volunteers from the Edison center of the Central Jersey chapter of SEWA USA.
This past season the Giving Gardens saw new raised growing beds installed in Temple Beth Ahm’s garden. This was made possible through donations from synagogue members, and the hands-on raised bed construction by local Boy Scouts. Donations have also funded the installation of a “deer proof” chain link fence to surround the garden, as well as the inclusion of a dedicated garden storage shed.
The goal of the two synagogues’ Social Action Committees has been to provide fresh vegetables (lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and zucchini) to local families that are food insecure and have difficulty buying fresh vegetables. This season, through volunteer efforts and the new raised beds, the two Giving Gardens have been able to donate produce to several additional groups. In fact, they donated over a ton of vegetables -- 2,380 pounds to be exact!
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This year also saw the Giving Gardens clear and prepare a space on Temple Beth Ahm’s property, near its Giving Garden, where a Butterfly/Pollinator Garden has been established. The idea is to entice pollinators (butterflies, bugs, and insects) to come to the area of the Butterfly Garden, and then to continue on to the flowers of the vegetable plants in the Giving Garden. This will hopefully result in an increased yield of the garden. The Butterfly Garden was established through a generous donation from the family of a synagogue member.
The Giving Gardens and Butterfly Garden are always in need of additional volunteers for their care and harvesting. Volunteers don’t need a “green thumb” nor a lot of time — just a desire to help. They are teamed up with one of the more experienced volunteers. To volunteer or donate to the Giving Gardens and Butterfly Garden, please email GardenCommittee@TempleBethAhm.org.
