Community Garden committee preparing for new season

BANGOR, Maine (April 4, 2024) — BangorHousing is preparing for another season of gardening at the community garden!

For the fourth year in a row, BHA will team up with Food AND Medicine in Brewer to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers in the 12 raised beds on Davis Road.

“The community garden provides opportunities to get to know your neighbors and build relationships that you might not otherwise,” said Sierra Taylor, a Family Self Sufficiency Coach who helps lead the garden. “We are growing some things that people aren’t buying at the grocery store, so it’s also a chance to try new and different foods.”

One aspect of the garden that’s exciting is to observe how food is grown – from seedlings, to the planting, to the eventual harvest, and then in the fall, the work it takes to prepare the garden beds for winter. BHA works with Food AND Medicine to decide what to plant and how to prepare everything ahead of time for the best chance of successful crops.

“With food prices increasing, it’s nice to supplement some groceries with the food from the garden. It provides folks with autonomy and shows them how they have the power to grow their own food,” said Sierra Taylor. “There’s also lessons to be learned when we face obstacles – like dry spells or insect infestations – and how we react to them. The garden can often reflect other aspects of our day to day lives.”

Volunteers have already been hard at work preparing this year’s crop for planting. The extensive list of plants the group is hoping to grow this year includes Roma and cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, green peppers, beets, onions, carrots, summer squash, strawberries, mint, thyme, basil, sage, sunflowers & marigolds, lettuce, spinach, and kale.

Once the seedlings have been planted (usually around the end of May), volunteers will meet twice a month to review how things are growing. In between sessions, volunteers stop by often to help water the plants and check on the progress. Volunteers are also welcome to stop by anytime to pick the crops and use them for their own cooking.

If you’re interested in learning more about the community garden or volunteering, you should reach out to Sierra Taylor at staylor@bangorhousing.org.