“God said, 'See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” Genesis 1:29
For those of us who believe Heaven is a garden, nothing thrills the soul like seeing green plants take root and thrive. The recent groundbreaking of a new Community Garden at Good Hope Family Fellowship is bringing a little bit of paradise to Scroggins.
The completed garden will span over 1,000 square feet and features 14 raised beds. Currently, the fence posts are set, the beds are in place, the trellises are erected, the garden soil has been shoveled, and irrigation is in the process of installation.
Pastor JP Jobe sees the garden as a continuation of the church’s overarching mission to give back to the community. “We started our monthly food pantry five years ago, and it’s always great when you can include fresh produce,” he said. “God blessed us with land enough for a garden here at the church, but we needed folks to manage it.”
Leadership for the project came forward with Lynn and Dave Simpson, church members who felt a calling to step up. Lynn Simpson is a Master Gardener who completed her educational coursework through the Cypress Basin Master Gardeners Association. To receive the designation, these gardeners complete 50-plus hours in specialized training courses led by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of Texas A&M University. Master Gardeners are then empowered to provide horticultural-related information to their own communities.
“Gardening is truly a passion for me,” Simpson admits, as she explained how the vegetable seedlings for the Community Garden have taken over space in her greenhouse, her game room, and now her living room at home!
Simpson will offer training for potential garden volunteers on harvesting and caring for the garden plants, and will also schedule weekly workdays. Already, many volunteers and neighboring businesses have helped make the garden a reality. Thus far, Patriot Sand & Gravel, Tom Scott Lumber, and Anleolife Garden Beds have donated to the project.
The garden began to take shape when the site in front of the church was cleared at the beginning of the year. The construction effort has been led by Richard Moss and Brad Neaves, who offered expertise, time, and heavy machinery. In February, a dozen volunteers came together over a weekend to build the aluminum frames for the raised garden beds.
“We see a lot of potential for the garden to be both a service to our community, and to give opportunities for our members to be involved working together,” Jobe emphasized.
Good Hope Family Fellowship on Hwy 115 offers a monthly food pantry on the third Saturday, run by Vicki Anderson. “On our Pantry day each month, we end up with 20 to 30 volunteers,” Anderson said. “We have lots of different roles, so people can be involved by helping with shopping, stocking, or transporting groceries to cars.” Between 55 and 75 families are served each month, and the Pantry is part of the Feed America program run by the East Texas Food Bank.
A recent study by the National Institutes of Health confirmed the many benefits of community gardens. People involved with community gardens show a significant increase in their daily vegetable intake, especially seasonal vegetables. Community gardening offers mental health benefits, including stress relief, improved mental well-being, and decreased anxiety. The study found physical health benefits for gardeners, with positive trends in BMI reduction. But perhaps most importantly, the study confirmed that community gardens provide social and economic benefits by offering access to fresh, affordable food and creating a sense of community pride and productivity.
