How did you get the idea for a community garden?
Stacey: Sean and I have our own urban agriculture company,
GreenHorn Gardens, where we build edible gardens in
homeowners’ backyards. We both live in Upper Darby and
decided to set up a meeting with Pastor David, who is the
Executive Director of the Upper Darby Community
Outreach Corporation.
The three of us got to talking and someone asked, “Why
isn’t there a community garden in our neighborhood?” We
couldn’t figure it out. So Pastor David reached out to Bonner
& Prendie President Dr. John Cooke, with whom he previously
worked on service projects in the community. After that
initial meeting, they were both very excited.
Where did you get funding?
Sean: A lot of it was grassroots fundraising with the help of
community volunteers. Jeremy Sirkin, a Bonner & Prendie
alumni, and owner of Executive Tree Care, donated over 80
yards of wood chips for the garden’s base foundation. Then
Sal Sciarrino and the team at Go Ape Treeline Adventure
donated 30 yards of soil and service hours. Community
involvement and partnerships were really key.
Stacey: For this upcoming season, we have built a designated
plot to rent to community members. That will help sustain
funding and build upon the sense of community that this
project promotes.
Were there any hiccups along the way?
Sean: There were these big trees near our plot, and when we
started, we didn’t think twice about them. We were lucky
to have Jeremy our tree expert warn us that they were black
walnut trees and their roots produce a chemical called
juglone, which is toxic to plants within a 70-ft radius. We
had to put a 16-inch wood-chip barrier to protect the crops.
It could’ve gone badly. You have to remember, you’re in the
hands of Mother Nature out there.
How much produce do you, well… produce?
Sean: Last year we ended up with a combined 1,500 pounds
of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, micro greens and other
vegetables. But we were still planting in early July and we
grew a lot of light produce. With the space that we have now
(160 x 60) we are expecting 3,000 pounds.
What do you do with all that food?
Sean: We split donations between St. Vincent DePaul Food
Pantry located at Blessed Virgin Mary in Darby and the Upper
Darby Food Bank. A lot of the Bonner and Prendie students
went to elementary and middle school at Blessed Virgin Mary,
so it’s a great way to give back and hopefully promote the love
of gardening early in their lives.