The West End Community Garden

It's amazing to me that while I lived on the farm, I never considered my family as farmers. My mother was a math teacher and worked in a fabric store. I told everyone she was a teacher, not a farmer. It was my grandfather's retirement hobby. It was something I helped with, but never gave much thought. It certainly wasn't something I wanted to do when I grew up. However, as I get older I am starting to miss the pastures and my dirt road. I especially miss my chickens. However, the romance of farming is lost whenever I realize we are in the middle of a drought or a hard freeze. I know that some person's crops and subsequent income are suffering. Regardless, I still have a strong desire to garden and perhaps raise a few chickens. But until I get my perfect little house and yard (tucked somewhere in Southside or Avondale), I will just have to settle with helping other local gardens.

I e-mailed West End Community Garden last summer asking if I could volunteer. They welcomed my help and told me just to come out on Saturdays. That was their designated volunteer day. However, I just wasn't organized enough to make it out there. As part of my new years resolution, I decided that this was one of the organizations I wanted to support. I want to invite you to come join me on Saturdays with the other volunteers as we help get this garden ready for the growing season. Contact me for more information!

Below is a film my friends Anna and Lindsay made, enjoy!


WE: The West End Community Garden from Digital Community Studies on Vimeo.


Fresh food has become one of my true passions in life. I feel that the right kind of diet will succesfully heal our bodies in ways that no pill can. How have you found yourself reconnecting with your food? Do you have a CSA, go the farmers market, or are you simply choosing in season produce at the grocery store? Please share your stories in the comments section.