ECCGA in collaboration with New London High School Culinary Team, FRESH NL, and the Riverside Community Gardeners will build ten new garden beds growing healthy, nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Leader
Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association Merrijo Logan
Location
Jefferson Ave, Cottage Street, and Adelaide Street New London, CT 06320
Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association's mission is to directly educate and empower community gardens in Eastern Connecticut to create lasting and sustainable solutions for increasing regional food security.
Sustainable CT supports this idea by matching the dollars donated to make your each neighborhood garden grow. New London takes care of each other by working together for the betterment of our families to provide healthy, delicious and nutritious food.
Working on three areas in New London building unique gardens in each space is the goal of our community project. The affect will provide education through experience for NLHS students in the Culinary Level 1 class. This on campus terrace garden is beautifully designed for farm to table meals. There is room for more beds to teach students the natural method of Regenerative Soil gardening, growing organic food from the soil-to the seed-to tending and finally harvesting their own garden produce. Students learn about foods nutritious value and how to prepare different vegetables, using freshly picked herbs bringing out the flavors-yum!
Riverside Community Garden on Adelaide Street would like to add 4 snack beds outside the fenced in area of rented spaces owned and cared for by an active group of gardeners. The idea of using the FRESH model of Snack Beds outside the fence along Adelaide Street would create an additional benefit to the neighborhood by building four, 2x8 raised beds for children, their families, and local individuals an opportunity to access healthy fruits and vegetables. The Riverside Community Garden is in such a lovely, peaceful, and uplifting place. The gardens are harmonious in their beauty and productivity of individual beds working together to create an ecologically positive energy.
Speaking of FRESH we are partnering with them on their new endeavor on Cottage Street. The owners of the property in collaboration with FRESH are clearing the land and building a terraced community garden. The Regenerative Soils method will be used to grow organic fruits and veggies on this natural rock terraced land. Improving this neighborhood with an active community garden making New London more beautiful as we walk and tour each part of the city.
You can be a part of the community garden growing revolution by contributing dollars to purchase the supplies needed to make our city greener. Every dollar donated is matched! New London Pride in the Green and Gold!
Achieving Our Goal Actions
Measure the area of each space for placement of garden bed
Purchase lumber, screws for raised beds and build four 2x8 raised snack beds.
Work with Riverside Community Gardens, NLHS, and FRESH to
In 2008 Dave Fairman, Community Activist, learned from Homeland Security that residents of Eastern Connecticut had only a three day supply of food available to them. Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA) was subsequently established in 2011 as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit to continue the Community Garden movement and to act as an educational catalyst for the planning, development, harvesting and sustainability of organic fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs from Community Gardens. ECCGA http://www.GetGrowingCT.org works with existing schools, organizations and neighborhoods to establish new gardens to feed local residents and to glean unharvested produce for distribution to local food banks.
Goals of ECCGA
Reduce food insecurity in Eastern Connecticut
Produce sustainably grown fruits and vegetables to feed the hungry
Educate gardeners on environmentally sustainable gardening practices
Educate gardeners to improve their relation to the food they eat.
Involve children and young people in the planting and harvesting of Community Gardens as a source of nutrition and providing education of good eating habits.
Learn more about ECCGA at our website http://www.getgrowingct.org
Our Mission
"To directly educate and empower community gardeners in Eastern Connecticut to create lasting and sustainable solutions for increasing regional food security."