One of our favorite things is the Giving Garden, developed during Covid to not only share our gifts with our neighbors, but also to encourage fellowship within the church. Each year we have been blessed more and more, able to give thousands of pounds of fresh organic vegetables to the food bank in Boiling Springs. At a time when food expenses are through the roof, we’re thrilled to share the best quality vegetables with families that are struggling to keep their cupboards stocked with the bare essentials.
We’ve been blessed with master gardeners to guide the way throughout our gardening journey. In the beginning, we had just a few boxes. A fence was eventually added, and with help from local Future Farmers of America kids, we continued to increase our yield, from 558 pounds in 2021 to 976 pounds in 2022, and a whopping 1,425 pounds in 2023.
In November 2023, work began to double the size of the original garden. The job required more than 100 tons of fill dirt and top soil. More than 40 tons of fill was used to create a platform for the expansion. Another 20 tons was put into the six new plant boxes that have been built so far, using nearly $2000 worth of lumber donated by Builders FirstSource in Southport, as well as additional supplies provided at discount by our local Lowes hardware store.
With the addition of mature blueberry bushes, we’re thrilled at the prospect of adding healthy fruits to the piles of vegetables we’re sharing with our neighbors. Many thanks to Pastor Wade, Joe Boehm, and Eddie Lawrence for making the trip to Elizabethtown for the trees! The Mathiesen’s very kindly provided the U-Haul.
We’ve also added more boxes so we can rotate our vegetable crops, and we’re adding a greenhouse so we can start seedlings in all seasons. All this work required several work days where the Men of Faith and Property Committee joined to fill the boxes, add mulch around them, and build a fence around the new garden perimeter.
To pay for the dirt, supplies, and plants, we received $4,000 in Thrivent Choice dollars that had been donated to Saint Peter Lutheran Church by members who have invested in Thrivent financial services. The ability to donate a percentage of earnings is one of the perks of membership in Thrivent.
We’re excited about the future of the Giving Garden! More opportunities to fellowship together and give through the work of our hands. More opportunities to work alongside our youth and pass along our gardening knowledge. So if you love getting your hands in the soil, come join us as we grow!
