Memorial Park Community Garden is “Planting a Row for the Hungry”

MPCG master gardeners at the Euclid Hunger Center

The Memorial Park Community Garden (MPCG) came to life in 2011 through the efforts of a group of dedicated residents, the City of Euclid, OSU Extension Service, and Cuyahoga County Board of Health. We now have 37 gardens beds, and plans for more. Our mission is to provide Euclid residents of all ages and abilities a space in which they can produce nutritious food for themselves and their community, in harmony with nature.

MPCG is not just about helping individuals to have a great gardening space in Euclid, we are dedicated to being active in the community including educational programs and hunger outreach. MPCG requires garden members to donate 10% of their crops to the Euclid Hunger Center (EHC). We have two 100 sq. ft. garden beds dedicated to the hunger center with plans for expansion. MPCG also partners with the Euclid Fruit Harvest Project in the fall to collect hundreds of pounds of fruit.

We want people to know you do not need a back yard or be in a community garden to grow your own produce. Last year the MPCG master gardeners held a Vegetable Gardening in Containers demonstration at the EHC. More than 20 clients learned how to grow their own produce and took home 60 pots of vegetable and herbs. We plan to continue these demonstrations at the hunger center and at the garden.

There are many ways to help the hungry in Euclid. This year MPCG is promoting “Plant a Row for the Hungry”. This national program encourages all gardeners to plant a row of produce specifically to donate to the hunger organizations in their area. Some good choices are beans (pinto, black eyed, navy, and green), beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumbers, garlic, Greens (turnip, mustard, collards), onions, peas, peppers, spinach, squash, potatoes, Swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs.

The Euclid Hunger Center accepts donations on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Donors who cannot get to the hunger center can leave vegetables at the Memorial Park Community Garden on Friday evening or by 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. The garden is located on Milton Avenue off E. 222nd across from Memorial Pool. For more information on Memorial Park Community Garden contact Laura Elersich, Garden Leader, memorialparkcommunitygarden@yahoo.com or visit our webpage http://www.cityofeuclid.com/residents/EuclidMemorialParkCommunityGarden. To learn more about the Euclid Hunger Center, see their web page: http://www.euclidhungercenter.com/.

Kelly Butauski

Chair of Euclid Weed & Seed steering committee and diversity committee. Euclid Weed & Seed is a community organization working with EPD to "weed" out crime and "seed" in positive social services on the southside of Euclid, OH. Previous experience as a stringer for Twinsburg "Bulletin".

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Volume 5, Issue 3, Posted 12:56 PM, 04.11.2014