Big thank you the Lumbery on Ocean House Road who made us 15 sustainably harvested hemlock planting frames for the Community Garden at Hillcrest. They cheerfully delivered them during a light rain, too. This allowed us to double the capacity of the garden, including 3 plots managed by gardeners Joyce and Roland and their helpers growing delicious fresh veggies, greens, and herbs for the food pantry. We also appreciate the Defosses family for covering the water bill, installing a new fence, and making a place for the gardeners to visit with their neighbors, grow food, and stay active through gardening. https://lumbery-me.com/
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Maine author, Jane Rogers Ducott, has just released a new book that takes its inspiration from the community garden at St. Nick's, and how the pandemic reminds us "we are stronger together and we are building community one garden at a time." Giff and Emmi are two rescued Treeing Walker Coonhounds, hired to rescue the Scarborough Community Garden. COVID disrupted the ongoing growth and maintenance of the garden. The two dogs hatch a plan to invite animal neighbors to assist in the reparations. Gus, the groundhog, Tom, Jake and Jenny Turkey and Bud and Essie Finch each have gardening skills necessary to revive the garden back to its bountiful state. Through collaboration, cooperation and mutual respect for one another, the garden team begins the growing season on time and will share vegetables and herbs with struggling animal and human families throughout the summer. Projecting human qualities onto the animal gardeners offered an opportunity to teach kindness, compassion and that many hands make light work.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will benefit the Project GRACE back to school backpack program and the Community Garden at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Scarborough.
July has been wet and weedy, but thanks to help from several talented and dedicated volunteers, we've revealed the peppers, chard, celery, and broccoli and cabbages ready to harvest for the food pantry. We appreciate all the help in the St Nick's Community Garden so far this season. Meanwhile gardeners are growing herbs and greens and other delicious veggies at Hillcrest for the pantry each week. Blue Point gardeners are growing, too. Thanks!   For the third summer in a row, Blue Point Church is growing tomatoes for the Scarborough Food Pantry. A project originally funded by Project G.R.A.C.E., our church Mission Committee will be pleased, once again, to deliver fresh tomatoes for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. You’re invited to stop by and talk nicely or sing sweetly to help them grow! For the beauty of the earth, for the splendor of the skies, For the love which from our birth over and around us lies, Lord of all, to you we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise.  A generous gift from the Prout’s Neck Association is providing the funds for our community gardens, including the organic compost and seedlings that were planted at St Nicholas Church by three friends, Kate, Rafik, and Mary! We are hoping to harvest lots of tasty peppers, eggplants, beans, celery, and greens for the food pantry this season. A very big thank you to Broadway Gardens, too, for donating whisky barrel planters (and the nourishing soil that goes in them) for the community garden at Hillcrest and to all the gardeners who share their bountiful harvests with the pantry, too.  Jordan‘s Farm just delivered our garden‘s secret ingredient: ‚surf’n’turf’ compost made in Maine by Benson‘s Family Farm. Thank you, Hillcrest volunteer Bob for hooking up the hoses. Thanks also to St Nick‘s volunteer Chris for roto-tilling. Next we‘ll be shifting all that material and planting — May and June workdays will be posted (soon) on the calendar for anyone who wants to join us in the garden  Hunger doesn’t take a vacation, and apparently neither do high school youths! An outstanding group of friends James, Trevor, Cree, and Nick took time out of their one week of summer vacation in Maine to help us with several tasks in the garden. They pulled weeds, leveled the ground around the fence, patched holes, and spread about 6 yards of wood chips that put the finishing touch on the Hillcrest Garden's new site. They approached each project with a cheerfulness and thoughtfulness that is exemplary and inspiring. Not even a summer rainstorm could dampen their spirits - we are so glad they wanted to spend time with us!  It's been cold and clammy, wet and rainy, but at last it's looking like planting weather! We have two garden work days coming up, and all are welcome! Tasks include moving 3 yards of light compost and raking the beds, planting veggie seedlings and seeds, and planting herbs and flowers. Bring work gloves if you have them; tools and extra gloves will be on site, too. WORKDAY ONE (Weather Permitting) Wednesday, May 29th 3:00-6:00 CANCELLED (conditions too wet to plant) WORKDAY TWO (Tentative, weather permitting) Saturday, June 1st 10:00-11:30 (Fingers crossed, conditions will be ok!)
To make room for the expanded Community Center at Hillcrest, the garden had to move... and it's in a great spot now with wider paths between the beds which have new cedar planks, lots of soil and compost, and barrels out front with flowers to encourage pollinators to visit. There are chairs and benches to encourage neighbors to stop and visit, too. We are grateful to the DeFosses family and State Manufactured Homes for their generous support.  Lebel & Harriman are paying it forward, in a big way, to mark their 40th anniversary. Michele Romano stopped by the garden with a generous gift to help us grow. >> MORE   Penny, Bert, Michele, and Elizabeth
Our good friends in the Hillcrest neighborhood are holding their annual charity craft fair and bake sale - and proceeds help Project GRACE keep our neighbors warm, grow community gardens with fresh veggies for the pantry, and help our neighbors when they have a temporary setback or need a little help to make ends meet. Come out to the Hillcrest Community Center (108 HIllcrest Ave, just off Route One) on Saturday, Nov. 3rd, and you'll be sure to get in the holiday spirit!  St Nicholas Community Garden Growing Season
12th June 2018 to 25th September 2018 (shorter by 6 weeks than 2018 season which ran 5/21/17 to 10/10/17) 406 Pounds (7% more than last season) Biggest Crops by Pounds 25% 103 lbs TOMATOES 13% 54 lbs LETTUCE, CHARD, KALE, GREENS 13 % 51 lbs BEANS 13% 51 lbs CUCUMBERS 4% 15 lbs EGGPLANTS Other crops included: beets, radishes, carrots, peppers, herbs and a variety of greens. It's the end of the growing season, and we're getting ready to put our garden to bed. Join us SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th at 11:00. Many hands make light work...Tasks include cleaning up plants, laying the tarp, putting tools away. We've moved the date due to wet weather. Fingers crossed, this date will work!  Highland Avenue Greenhouse & Farm Market is hosting their 7th annual Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, October 13th. The festival is fast becoming one of Scarborough's favorite Fall traditions. With games, refreshments, pony rides and much more - the festival is family-friendly fun for all ages. This year, proceeds from the event will benefit Project GRACE, and the nonprofit group will use the gift to support the Scarborough Community Garden! We hope you'll come out and see us, bring the kids!!  Our good friends at ACE Hardware have donated and delivered three more barrels for gardening at the Blue Point Church. Thank you! This doubles the growing possibilities at this site. We are grateful for the gift.   The "Food for Thought & Action" group, hosted by the Scarborough Food Pantry, Scarborough School Nutrition, and Project GRACE, is ready to reconvene. We are eager to hear how things are going and your ideas for what else we can tackle together to halt hunger in our community. We'll be convening in a few weeks, and hope you'll attend. Please save the date: Wednesday, May 16th (2:30-5:00) St. Maximilian-Kolbe Church 150 Black Point Road (map) 
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