As we are coming near to the end of the summer season, our teen garden volunteers returning to school, we reflect on the successful growth of our garden at Mooseheart this year. Our days are getting quieter as there is less to do before the big harvest and processing days coming up.This was our first year having a garden at Mooseheart and it was exciting to see it all through the ups and downs. Our gardeners and volunteers were out there each week, some of them multiple times a week, powering through all the setbacks of starting a garden in a new area. They have done an amazing job and it shows with the abundance of food we have been harvesting. This week, we, of course, did more harvesting. Our tomato, pepper, broccoli, and eggplant don’t stop giving! Besides vegetables, we also have two fruits, cantaloupe, and watermelon. They have been popping up for a while but finally today we were able to pick the first watermelon. Afterward, we turned the soil over in one of the sectioned off beds, added compost, and planted more lettuce. This lettuce will be ready more in sync with when we will need to harvest for our kitchen. Nothing makes us happier than being one step closer to providing our clients with organic and plant based meals. The kitchen is also a place where both teen and adult volunteers are welcome and we are always looking to make additions!
Thank you to Nora Charles, 2nd year undergraduate student at Iowa State University, who has been interning with our garden program throughout the
summer. She been a big contributor to our blog communications and photography for our gardening efforts at Mooseheart, keeping us informed of the
work of FVFFH volunteers and Mooseheart youth. She returns to school this week to continue her studies and plans to stay involved.