THE CEDAR KEY COMMUNITY GARDEN, WILLISTON COMMUNITY GARDEN ALLIANCE
May 5, 2021
May 5, 2021
Part of the Cedar Key Community Garden’s mission seeks to educate and inspire others to replicate its efforts and establish their own community gardens. And, indeed, the Gardeners lived their mission again this month.
With information and connections from Beth Mizell, the Williston Area Community Resource Organization and the Cedar Key Community Garden became aware of one another in mid-April. Community Garden Leader Tom Devrin invited the WACRO organizers/founders to Cedar Key to see the Cedar Key Community Garden, talk successful strategies, and have lunch. The Williston group’s vision is to involve area residents of all ages, particularly youngsters and the elderly, to gather, interact, and, of course, grow healthy food. Though relatively new, the Williston WACRO have already cleared land, irrigated part of it, and planted some currently burgeoning crops.
In mid-April, Vernon Bernard, Albert Fuller, and Elisha Brown met Tom at the Garden and did just that; they toured, talked, and luncheoned at Steamer’s.
The next most helpful action the Cedar Key Community Garden could do for the Williston group, thought Tom and the Gardeners, was to demonstrate how they built the Garden’s tabletop beds.
So… the team went into action. Again, Leader and Communicator Tom set the dates and organized the operation. Builders Joe Hand and Doug Lindhout got the wood and precut every piece. Then, screening, nails, staples, drills, screw drivers, heavy plastic, and cardboard, were loaded into Doug’s spacious six-and -a-half-foot truck bed and off they went to Williston this past Thursday, May 5, at 8 am.
All hands were on deck: Vernon, Elisha, Albert, Jackie Appling, Mr. Boatright, Ms. Appling’s sister, and more community members joined Tom, Joe, ad Doug.
Doug’s trunk was emptied board by board as Joe and Doug led the way putting the precut pieces together, with Jackie, Mr. Boatwright, and Vernon immediately following their lead.
After the bed was built, folks lifted it right-side-up and placed heavy plastic over the screening. They poked holes in it for drainage, then covered the plastic with cardboard which holds moisture.
Within an hour, the bed was built and ready for soil to be placed in it. A happy group of Cedar Keyans and Williston folk felt accomplished.
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