Ellwood Thompson’s Blog

There are so many benefits to community gardens.  The American Community Garden Association lists some of the benefits of community gardens to include:
Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
Stimulates Social Interaction
Encourages Self-Reliance
Beautifies Neighborhoods
Produces Nutritious Food
Reduces Family Food Budgets
Conserves Resources
Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
Reduces Crime
Preserves Green Space
Creates income opportunities and economic development
Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections

And Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market is proud to partner with Tricycle Gardens and City of Richmond Parks and Recreation to transform the first city property into a community garden.  Many cities have all ready begun transforming their vacant lots into community gardens and we hope that Richmond will follow suit and there are lots of ways you can help!

This Saturday we need people to come out at help with trench digging from 10am-2pm at the garden site next to the Humphrey Calder Community Center at the corner of Thompson and Patterson Street.  Please bring shovels, gloves and water if you have them available.

On April 9th there will be a fund raising party at Ellwood Thompson’s Coffee from 7PM-10PM with complementary food and live music.

And on April 25th will be the day the garden is built we will need volunteers to help with all aspects of garden creation.   You can read more at http://hcgarden.wordpress.com/

All the plots for this garden are currently reserved but names are being taken for a waiting list.   Getting involved in the creation of Humphrey Calder Community Garden is a great way to see how community garden’s are created and will hopefully lead to the creation of more gardens to serve our community.

Grab a shovel (its okay if you do not have one too) and head to the corner of Patterson and Thompsons Streets and help transform Richmond.