Gardeners Put Beds to Bed for Winter

by Liz Steel, Community Journalist

GREENSBORO — At the end of another growing season, volunteers of the Greensboro Community Garden took time last week to prepare the garden for winter. Paths were refreshed with new wood chips, the final greens were harvested, and trellises were dismantled.

Following the no-till, regenerative farming technique, the vegetable stems and plant material were removed for composting, while leaving the plant roots to feed the soil. Fresh compost, donated by CT Landscaping of Craftsbury, was spread generously over each of the beds, and then covered with either straw or cardboard to protect the compost from weeds. Come spring 2024, the beds will be ready for planting out with minimal intervention.

With the unpredictable weather this growing season and floods in July, the need for locally grown produce has been significant. The Greensboro Community Garden has donated nearly 250 lbs. of vegetables to families in the community through the Hardwick Area Food Pantry and a local food shelf in collaboration with Smith’s Grocery in Greensboro Bend. Greensboro United Church of Christ Pastor, Ed Sunday-Winters, said: “We have been so fortunate to have a number of volunteers who have worked together over the summer to tend the community garden. The substantial amount of produce from the small garden has been impressive and has contributed to addressing food security needs in our community.”

The volunteers crew that helped with the winterization were Jenny Bayles, Heidi DeBrino, Joan Feffer, Cathy Hansen, Kent Hansen, Beth Meacham, Dede Stabler, Sara Slater, Chris Steel and Liz Steel.