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Saturday, June 5, 2010

Join Our Team

There's an opportunity for you to join the Shalom Community Teaching Garden team. We need your commitment and desire to help us fulfill our mission of 'caring for the earth' and 'feeding the hungry'. Contact Judy Mendelson or Paula Baruch to learn what you can do to help make our garden project a bountiful success.

Background:
The Shalom Community Teaching Garden site was visit by Councillor Brian McHattie and a member of our city's community garden staff in mid May 2010. They were impressed by our garden plan and the unique mission we are undertaking.

Our garden sits on Churchill Park land behind Temple Anshe Sholom. The land actually belongs to the Royal Botanical Gardens, who lease the land to the city for park use. A lease agreement is being prepared between the RBG and Hamilton City which allows for our garden. We were thrilled to get the go ahead for our project last week.

This project is dependent on cooperation and support from Temple Anshe Sholom's Social Action Committee, Temple Playhouse, Temple Religious School, George R. Allan Elementary School and Kehila Jewish Community Day School. Members from each of these groups were present for Councillor McHattie's visit in May.

Our community garden is unique for two main reasons:

1. It is designed to be used as an outdoor classroom to teach organic gardening practices, how to grow food. The food grown will be donated to a local foodbank and a portion will be utilized to celebrate the garden in the fall months. Our teaching will emphasize the values of 'caring for the earth' and 'feeding the hungry'.

2. Our garden is experimenting with strawbale growing technique. In this method strawbales are laid out, seasoned to begin a fermenting process, topped with a couple inches of soil and planted. The straw provides a great growing medium and environment provided it is watered regularly. There is no digging and the plants are raised for easy access to those who find gardening a physical challenge.

Stay tuned for more garden updates!

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