Project Grow is looking to take advantage of the summer months by continuing hard work and educational plans while gardens flourish and grow.
Throughout the state, Project Grow maintains gardens used for horticultural therapy. Raised garden beds are located at the community garden at Duke Farm in Hillsborough.
In addition to the community garden at Duke Farm, the program maintains accessible beds at several Allies day habilitation programs. The bulk of the work is done at the garden at Mercer County Community College.
Throughout the season, each day program travels to the site at Mercer County Community College to participate in gardening and learn about the important elements of raising a successful garden. This season, leaders of Project Grow are teaching Allies participants about pollinators, and also discuss ways to fertilize gardens and promote growth in environmentally friendly ways.
“We are looking at environmentally friendly ways to fertilize our gardens,” MaryAnne McMillan, a leader of Allies’ Project Grow.
So far, Allies says, the plants have been doing well while Project Grow participants are able to learn about the relationships present between organisms that live in the garden and working with crafts that tie into garden activities.
Some of these lessons include discussions about the kinds of insects and other life that can be found in a garden.
“During the winter and bad weather, we will spend a lot of time on indoor activities,” Jean D’Amore, and another member of the Project Grow team at Allies, said.
In cases where the weather is difficult to work with but not hazardous, participants are given breaks to cool off in the shade and take in the gardening from a distance.
The harsh weather has been great for productivity in the gardens.
As of July 8, Project Grow has donated more than 190 pounds of produce to food banks including the Mercer Friends Food Bank, Duke Farms, and the Flemington Food Bank. Allies says that Project Grow owes the success of these beds, particularly the ones at Mercer County Community College, to Nick Stryker, the lead garden farmer at that location.
During milder days, participants are key parts of carrying out Project Grow’s work. When participants visit, they are able to get hands-on and practice their gardening skills. They might spend their time looking for bugs with a magnifying glass or getng rid of other pests. “We are trying to teach everyone not to be afraid of the things we find in the garden,” McMillan said.
“Our folks have been instrumental in making this a success,” McMillan said.
After harvesting, McMillan and D’Amore use produce to create teas and other treats as an illustrative example of the possibilities created by gardening.
Allies, Inc. is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing housing, healthcare, meaningful employment and recrea8onal ac8vi8es to people with special needs in the communities of their choice. On the web: alliesnj.org.
