CULTIVATING HEALTHY PLANTS AND RELATIONSHIPS A Look at the Zenda Community Garden at Zenda Farms Preserve

Below, Lori Arnot, co-creator of the Zenda Community Garden at the Thousand Islands Land Trust's conserved Zenda Farms Preserve, shares how her shared community garden offers bountiful opportunities for growth. This includes not only providing healthy, nutritious foods, but also opportunities for social interaction, education, recreation, exercise, and also giving back:

1. Why did you feel it was important to help establish a community garden (when you can just create your own)?

Something special happens when you put intention and like minded people together. It is so much easier to work together! Many minds create a larger knowledge base and many hands create lighter work. Less time, bigger yield, more variety! 

2. How does it work?

We run the garden family style!  That means the veggies (fruits, herbs) are planted together in the same families. And then we share equally in the harvest. That way if someone is unable to complete their tasks another gardener can help. We share equally on work too!  Our community gathers for a “work meeting” where we learn the various jobs to be done and then we choose our own hours to accomplish certain tasks, which are assigned by our garden manager. For example, I might have to install the pea trellis or thin the beets in addition to weeding my row.

3. What have been your largest challenges creating and maintaining a community garden?

Each year is different. A few years ago... WEEDS! The plot of land we use has weed seeds in the earth, which are difficult to control. And we are committed to organic, chemical-free farming, which is more challenging. We have learned many techniques to stay less weeded and currently, thanks to Dan Tack, we are experimenting with fabric.  This year the challenge is enough hands.  The Zenda Community Garden could use a few more family hands.

4. What are the greatest benefits/gifts of your community garden?

The incredible food! It is so affordable to eat a wide variety of fresh, organic fruits and veggies. Now I couldn’t imagine not having these foods available to my family! It's financially and nutritionally the best deal around!

5. What do you see as the role of children and of the elderly?  

The role of children in the garden is amazing! Their connection to nature is joyful, whether lying on the ground or collecting worms to distribute to the soil. Our community garden has a children’s corner, which is open to the public and encourages children to interact with the land and to learn from it. I can’t begin to measure the contribution of the elderly to the garden. Their knowledge and wisdom of gardening, harvesting, preparing, and storing foods is endless.   When we have a situation of working consciously towards a common goal we have the opportunity to change the future. Meeting up and working hard, and sharing ideas is about the most fulfilling thing we can do to build meaningful relationships of all ages. 

6. What do you do with extra food?

Whatever we have left is sent to our local food pantry and to Meals on Wheels. We are committed to sharing nutritious veggies while educating and spreading the word!

7. What are your future plans and dreams for the garden?

We would love to grow!  We’d love to double our membership bringing the presence of more hands, more knowledge, and greater health benefits for our community! We hope to have more fruits – an orchard of trees and bushes for berries. We would also like wheelchair access for our elderly population to enjoy the garden.