Community-based project encouraging green thumbs

 Recent years have taught us many things about the limitations of our environment and the tipping point that we, as a collective human culture, currently face here on Earth.

 One of the ways that we can help ease the burden on the planet is to strive to live in a more sustainable and environmentally conscious fashion, and that's part of what Helping Nature Heal owner Rosmarie Bradley had in mind when she signed on in partnership with the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank to help create a community garden.

 Ms Bradley, her staff and the dedicated volunteers and clients of the food bank began working at the garden project not quite a month ago, with the construction of three beds, and the preparation of a fourth space at the foot of the fence along the property's perimeter.

 Branch Tree Nursery delivered soil and Buck's Home Building Centre helped out with the lumber, which was used in the construction of the three beds - so, Ms Bradley said, it was a real, multi-faceted community effort.

 Once the beds were prepared, literally dozens of different products, everything from lettuce to onions, tomatoes, beans and much more, were planted.

 As the summer goes on, people who make use of the food bank will not only be able to enjoy the fruits - and vegetables - of their labour, but they'll also have acquired knowledge about maintaining and nurturing a garden, something which they can take and apply in their own, personal spaces in an incredibly satisfying way.

 "The folks that utilize the space are going to really thrive and be able to learn something, get inspired and get some skills that maybe they can use on their own," Ms Bradley said.

 In less than a month, the garden has already sprouted some seriously green signs of growth, and Ms Bradley said that in the near future, some of the quickly maturing items, such as radishes, will be ready to be gathered.

 "It's going really great," Ms Bradley said.

 "We did the planting about a month ago and things are coming up and the folks at the food bank are quite excited to see that things are actually growing and they'll soon be able to start harvesting."

 A host of passionate food bank volunteers, including Betty Dunham and Margaret Therriault, helped to make this project possible, and it's the kind of self-sufficient initiative that Ms Bradley said she hopes others in the community will pick up on and run with.

 "It's maybe a baby step for the whole organic movement in the area and for people being self-sufficient," she explained.

 "Down the road a ways, we'll really see the benefits - if small groups like this participate and get started, then that will just ripple out and people will start thinking about doing it in their own yards, on the front lawn, in containers, things like that."

 For more information on sustainable living initiatives, such as community garden projects, you can visit the Town of Bridgewater's integrated community sustainability plan's web page at http://www.bridgewater.ca/sustainability.