Published: March 4, 2021

Asbury’s Community Garden Team recently received some great news that will allow our garden to become a reality this spring: The Rochester Preservation Board approved our plan to create a community garden of raised beds on the Asbury First campus. The garden will be on the west side of the church, between the playground and 1010 East Ave. Produce raised in this new vegetable garden will supply meals and take-home snacks at the Dining & Caring Center. It’s our sincere hope that volunteers to run the garden will come from church members, Dining Center guests and other members of the community. 

We’re starting out with 10 raised beds, which have already been constructed and delivered to campus. (A Monroe County Soil and Conservation District grant got us started.) The beds still have to be set up and filled, however, and that’s where volunteers are first needed. In the spring, we’ll be putting out a work call to find people to set up the beds and fill them with soil. If you want to be kept informed, please contact DIana Carter at (585) 732-7224, or DianaLouiseCarter@gmail.com.

Besides set-up, small groups of volunteers—young and old—may participate in one-time projects such as growing seedlings that will be transplanted to the garden. Longer-term commitments are also welcome. Some recurring jobs include taking responsibility for a single bed; providing regular watering, weeding, and harvesting; serving on the team that manages the garden. Though these jobs need to be done regularly, they can be done on whatever schedule is convenient for the volunteer—mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekdays or weekends. Because of COVID restrictions, many dining center volunteers are now idle and families are stuck indoors. The Asbury Community Garden might provide a welcome outlet for both groups. Contact Diana if your green thumb is itching to get involved.