by Kate Newnam
Carrboro Commons Editor

In the face of a continuing drought, Lauren Craig waters a row of parched plants.
Kate Newnam photo

Each Saturday as the sun beats down and the temperature rises, a group of gardeners gather at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park on Hillsborough Road to lend a hand in community food production. As part of the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition, gardeners with all ranges of experience have been working together since May to create a space for sustainable food production and community interaction.

The community garden began as an idea in the heads of friends and garden lovers April McGreger and Jay Hamm. “We have been friends a long time and had talked and dreamed about not only a community garden, but a community kitchen as well,” said McGreger.

After a community garden group working on private land by the ReCYCLEry was kicked off their plot, McGreger, Hamm and fellow gardener Sammy Slade began looking for a new community garden space in early spring. The group looked at the MLK, Jr. Park not knowing what the plans were for it, but knew it would be a great space for a garden.

“We came out here and it was huge and empty and had perfect sun,” said McGreger.

“We found out that there was a meeting to discuss the future of the park and presented the garden as one of the options,” said Slade.

After much negotiation, the Board of Aldermen turned the plot over for joint use by the Garden Coalition and the Orange County Partnership for Young Children.

On May 15, 2007, the group broke ground on their 75 ft. by 75 ft. garden with a rented tiller and lots of donated seeds. Local farmers and gardeners, many of which are involved in the Farmers’ Market, supplied the group with seeds for such Southern staples as tomatoes, peppers and melons.

Four months later, those donated seeds have helped the garden to produce its first harvest. Melons were in surplus this year, said McGreger, so they were given as “thank yous” to many of the people who donated and to the Parks and Recreation Department.

“Nothing is used for commercial use,” said McGreger. “We use the produce as a way to share with people who come by. Our goal is to make contact with local churches and food banks to share the garden with people who can’t get to it themselves.”

In addition to providing for people without adequate access to food, the garden also provides for those without access to land.

Claire Viadro, a coalition member since the first day they broke ground, lives on a shaded lot with no garden potential so she turned to the Community Garden.

“I grew up without a garden and didn’t want my kids to grow up the same way,” she said.
Lauren Craig started coming to the garden for the same reason.

“There’s no room for a garden at my house, which is kind of sad,” she said.

By getting involved in the community garden, Craig is able to participate in the garden but knows it isn’t dependent on her alone.

“Out here, there are so many people that are a part of it that you know it won’t die if you can’t come one week,” said Craig.

The coalition has more than 65 members according to McGreger, but the Saturday average tends to be around 20 people, she said. Some come every week, some just drop by when they can. Those who have become regulars have also been spreading the word to newcomers.

“I found out about this through talking to some people at Weaver Street when I first moved here,” said Sara Keever, who moved to Carrboro in the beginning of the summer. “I was wondering if they had something like this in town and I ended up getting put in touch with April. Now I try to come every week.”

Each Saturday the group works to complete a list of tasks such as weeding, planting and watering. Members can also sign up for watering dates throughout the week by using the coalition’s “wiki” site.

“None of this is paid,” said McGreger. “It’s pretty much all hobby and really is a passion for a lot of people. It is about the food, but more than that it’s about the community and this town we live in, this land we live on.”

“All of this has to do with the connections we’ve lost,” said Slade. “We need to get back to being more sustainable and local. Doing that really helps us to get to know the people in our community.”

To get involved with the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition, visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park located at 1120 Hillsborough Rd. between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. each Saturday or visit the Coalition’s website at www.carrborogarden.org. To sign up for the Coalition’s listserv send an e-mail to ccgc@riseup.net or call (919) 647-9633.