Below is the article as it appeared in the Greensboro News and Record, where our President is co-chair of the church garden.
Nobody really wants credit for the hundreds of pounds of fresh cucumbers, corn and tomatoes harvested from the once grassy patch of land at the rear of First Presbyterian Church in Reidsville and given to local charities.
Not Dr. Jim Harrell, who spent what seems the hottest summer ever atop a tractor, helping till the land at the church — sometimes before opening his veterinary practice for the day.
Nor Peter McKinnon, the mission-minded president of a photography business, whose hands have nurtured every phase of the bounty, from planting seeds to picking produce from the dirt and vines. He also packages up a succulent mix he often delivers from the back of his vehicle.
“They don’t do it for the recognition,” the Rev. Douglas S. McLeroy, the church’s pastor, said of parishioners who have been involved in the 1,500 pounds of yield. “They take satisfaction in this land being used to bless others.”
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Two years ago McKinnon, whose grandfather once owned the largest dairy farm in New Hampshire, seeded a tomato garden at the church and tried to get young people involved.
“Gardening is a great way to teach what happened as Christ threw the seed down onto a fertile soil or a rocky soil or a sandy soil,” McKinnon said of the biblical parable of sowing the Gospel.
The dirt ministry never quite caught on, he said.
Earlier this year, Harrell’s wife, Kate, read an article about grant money available for community gardening, something her husband and McKinnon had been discussing.
The church also had a large grassy plot that had been used for vacation Bible school activities and little else.
Kate Harrell, whose grandfather operated a tobacco farm, called a new member of the church who works for the local cooperative extension service to learn more about the $250 grant, which could be used for seeds and fertilizers.
“We know that there’s a real need in Rockingham County … that people need help locally,” she said.
With the congregation’s blessing — and a portion of the grassy plot at his disposal — Jim Harrell borrowed a tractor and began tilling the field.
“Jim’s father was superintendent of the schools in Gates County, but he had a garden,” she said. “I’ve heard stories from his brother and others … that while everyone else was playing football and riding bikes, they were in the garden working.”
The frequent rain in the spring yielded lots of cabbage, potatoes, broccoli and cucumbers, among other things.
“It kept coming and coming and coming,” she said.
During dry spells, members attached a garden hose to an outdoor spigot and took turns watering the rows — only one at a time because of the distance and water pressure.
Others showed up for called workdays or stopped by on their own time to pull weeds.
“We’ve had people involved from 5 years old to a young woman in her 80s named Marie Hedges, who was always out there,” Jim Harrell said. “I don’t call myself a real good gardener, but I’ve learned a lot this year.”
Some found peace and solitude while out there.
“You can do a lot of praying while you are out there watering — and a lot of just sitting back saying, ‘Wow, look at what’s happening in front of my eyes,’” McKinnon said
For others, like McLeroy, it’s a chance to reclaim those memories of walking behind his grandfather with a watering can as the elder man dropped seeds on his farm.
“There’s nothing like working in the dirt,” McLeroy said. “Some people say it’s cheaper than psychotherapy.”
Much of what has happened in the field behind the church has come from the congregation learning as they go, using the Internet, the local Cooperative Extension Service and everybody who has been involved.
“We’re going to rethink a few things,” Harrell admitted. “I love butter beans, but it takes a while to pick them and then if you give them to somebody, they have to shell them. If you are going to give it away, give things they can use right away.”
Radishes are easy to grow, but it’s not an easy thing to give away, McKinnon said. “Once you pick lettuce, it goes real quick,” McKinnon said.
“We’re planting green beans again, and I’m going to have to cover them,” McKinnon said, “because the rabbits like them more than we do.”
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As their rows of corn stalks grew, the laborers operated under one simple premise at the Community Garden, which was named that way to encourage more community involvement.
“You’re supposed to give 10 percent of what you make to the church,” McKinnon said. “We’re giving 90 percent of the tithe to the community. It’s probably at 95 percent.”
The list thus far includes the Reidsville Soup Kitchen, two halfway houses, the Salvation Army and other charities.
“It’s been so hot this summer, it was a miracle their garden did so well,” said Marlene Pruitt, who supervises the battered women’s shelter at Help Inc., where the clients often cook communal meals. “I truly believe God blessed their garden because of what they are doing from the heart.”
The idea is to give to people who are in less fortunate situations who wouldn’t be able to buy at the farmer’s market, they say.
The rest is either taken to the homebound, dispersed at church or occasionally given to those who labored in the field that day.
“We’re not trying to put any farmer out of business,” McKinnon said. “We don’t want to hurt their business whatsoever. We don’t have people coming to the garden to get food. We figure the organization we are helping, these people aren’t going to be going to the farmers’ market — not all the organizations, but most of them.”
This also gives the needy more options.
“If you are living from paycheck to paycheck, it is cheaper to buy a honey bun, four for a dollar, all the sugar and carbs, than it is to buy a head of broccoli, which is healthy,” McKinnon said. “So until we figure out how to make healthy food cheap enough for everybody, let’s give it away.”
Still, McKinnon sees that’s probably not enough. Another phase of the ministry is already under development.
Some of the people who receive produce may not know how to prepare it, he said.
“If we can teach them how to cook, then we’ve really blessed them,” McKinnon said. “I’m hoping that’s going to be phase two for next year. That’s my wild wish.”
Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com
Want to Get Involved?
Call Pam at 349-3474, the First Presbyterian Church office, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, or leave a message on the church voicemail, including a name and telephone number. Also, go to www.fpcreidsville.org.
Nobody really wants credit for the hundreds of pounds of fresh cucumbers, corn and tomatoes harvested from the once grassy patch of land at the rear of First Presbyterian Church in Reidsville and given to local charities.
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