Site 7: “Plot Against Hunger” Community Garden

En Español

The St. Ann Community Garden is a “Plot Against Hunger” garden, built and maintained to grow crops for local food pantries. The garden was planned and installed in the Spring of 2016 by Invictus member Nico Salinas as his Eagle Scout project.

Teens in our Invictus youth group worked on the construction of the raised beds. In the process, they received valuable training on the use of tools for their Work Camp volunteer experience later that June.

Saint Ann Invictus teens building garden beds, April 2016.

Invictus teens installing beds, April 2016.

Our purpose is to help alleviate food insecurity in our community.  At the same time, the garden gives volunteers an opportunity to learn practical gardening skills while growing their faith through their work for others.

Most recently, our freshly-harvested produce has fed clients of Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) and the food pantry at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in South Arlington.

We have grown all kinds of vegetables and herbs, including kale, arugula, spinach, potatoes, radishes, carrots, beets, okra, cucumbers, peppers, onions, edamame/soybeans, eggplant, malabar spinach, brussels sprouts, squash, cilantro, rosemary and basil.

Beets ready to harvest with second planting of okra seedlings.

Gabby harvesting 2016 bed with companion marigold plants.

We keep our garden organic, with no herbicides or pesticides ever used. We experiment with pest control by companion planting with flowers like marigolds.

Kate and Lucy, harvesting radishes with Fr. Mel, 2016.

This Spring, we started with crops of kale, pak choi, radish, and spinach which all grow well in our sunny location and are popular choices at the food pantries.  After these are harvested, we plan a second planting of basil, cucumbers, okra, peppers and squash.

Parishioner Laura Ryan has overseen the planting and care of the garden from its beginning.  Many volunteers are needed to keep our garden growing.  We have had enthusiastic workers including class groups from Saint Ann School, our Faith Formation program, Bishop O’Connell, St. John, and other local high schools, members of Invictus, and adult parishioners.

Volunteers plant and care for the crops, harvest the produce as it ripens, and package it for delivery to the food pantries.

Vegetables boxed for delivery to food pantry.

Herbs and greens ready for delivery to food pantry.

We welcome new volunteers.  Check the Saint Ann Church website for contact information or email stanncg@gmail.com.