Men’s Gardening Project
By Lucy Hackett
This year, our amazing Men’s Gardening Project, headed by Career Development Coordinator LJ Dalton, had three teams competing. Green Team 1%, Green Thumb, and Green Giant were the names of the men’s teams. They worked on six 4’ X 8’ raised bed gardens in the Outdoor Classroom. Tradition carries on!
Haven of Rest Ministries began this wonderful class in 1998 with assistance from OSU Extension. In 2009, Summit County Master Gardeners had assumed leadership of this project and formed a magnificent team of Master Gardeners to instruct this class every year. Included in the curriculum is: plant selection, companion planting, square foot and vertical gardening, maintenance, and informational resources.
In June of this year, superb Master Gardeners and volunteers, known as Coaches, helped separate and sort what Haven of Rest’s Resident Men were to plant. As they planted in each of their raised plots, the Residents were supervised by the Coaches, who assisted and answered questions. Coaches also encourage the Residents to seek additional information on their own, to strengthen their research techniques and disciplines.
In August, each of the Team’s raised plots were judged by Master Gardeners and staff members. The grand prize, awarded in October, is a steak dinner, including a baked potato bar, salad, and homemade dessert. In the meantime, everyone has the privilege of enjoying the vegetables picked, prepared, and served in our dining room at the Mission!
Thank you to everyone who has made this possible! For what’s ahead, check out our future posts on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/havenofrest.org.
