Vernon UMC Community Garden invites teams to maintain planting boxes

To kick off the 2021 organic vegetable growing season, the Vernon United Methodist Community Garden will invite four families or teams to maintain one of the four planting boxes in the garden.

In the past essentially all of the produce has been donated to the church food pantry for distribution. This year these guidelines have been changed as follows:

● Each family/team will be asked to make a suggested donation to the church of $25.

● Each family/team will be asked to donate approximately one half of their produce to the food pantry and may keep the other half for personal use.

● If needed, each family/team will be responsible for acquiring and adding the additional organic soil, fertilizer, mulch, plants, seeds, etc. needed for their box. (Commercial pesticides or herbicides are not allowed.) Some supplies, like cages, poles, weed cloth, are already available. Donations from others not taking a box also will be appreciated.

● Each family/team may submit reimbursement vouchers up to $50 for their out of pocket church gardening purchases.

● Each family/team will be responsible for watering, weeding their box and harvesting the mature produce. They also will be responsible for maintaining the perimeter and walking areas around their boxes and inside the fencing.

At the end of the season a “Rotten Tomato” award will be given to the family/team that appears to have done the best gardening.

The season starts on May 1 and ends on Oct. 31. To reserve a box, contact Bob Reffelt 973 764-6869 or breffelt@aol.com.