By Noelle Long
Passersby may have noticed a few new things growing by Christ United Methodist Church in Northumberland last summer. A community garden was started to simply share God’s bounty with everyone. There were no income restrictions and no limit to the amount people could take. Produce was placed on the stand near the flagpole on the King Street side of the park, free for the taking for anyone who would like some fresh veggies at their meal table. Last year’s harvest included sweet corn (which some claimed was the best they ever had!), eggplant, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, hot peppers, green peppers, banana peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, dill, basil, green beans, and fresh-cut flowers.
This year’s plans for the garden have been in the works for months. The CUMC family and community partners have worked on or plan to:
- Preparing the beds for composting during the fall and winter months.
- Signage to be installed with the CUMC kids’ artistic touches.
- Install brick pathways.
- Handcrafted stepping stones will be made to be included in the paths throughout the garden.
- Garden expansion. The new footprint will double the garden’s current size, allowing for a more diverse crop selection and more produce.
- A stone prayer wall will be built for anyone to utilize, complete with lighting, a bench, and landscaping.
The CUMC Blessing Box has also been added as yet another outreach to the community. Blessing Boxes come in many different sizes offering a variety of items such as non-perishable food goods, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, diapers, and more. CUMC encourages anyone in the community to “Take what you need and leave what you can.”
If you want to learn more, contact the CUMC office at 570-473-8543.
