Spring has arrived and a new season has begun for The Gardens at Unity Village (The Gardens), located near the Unity Village campus.
 

Carrying on a tradition that began with Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in the early 1900s, The Gardens offers a bounty of fresh produce cultivated without herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Judy Best, board president for The Gardens, says work by volunteers last year and throughout the winter has been very fruitful. “The goal of our organization is to demonstrate conscientious use of the natural resources at hand to grow abundant, affordable, healthy foods,” says Best. “We operate from the perspective that everyone benefits from learning ecological farming and gardening methods to better maintain planet Earth.” Volunteers have worked all winter composting and preparing to have fertile soil.

Nourishing the Community
Open Saturdays through October, this year's new three-season garden will include watermelon and other seasonal fruits; greens such as spinach, lettuces, cilantro and arugula; green onions, beets, carrots and peas in the spring; garlic, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, okra, eggplant, brussel sprouts, and beans including edamame in the summer; and squash and pumpkins in the fall. As in seasons past, the market stand will be supplemented with produce provided by other local farmers.

In addition to people from neighboring residential areas and businesses, many Unity Village employees enjoy fresh produce from The Gardens. Unity communications specialist Elaine Meyer and her husband visit at least once or twice a month. “The produce is always outstanding, especially the peaches … they are incredibly juicy,” she notes. “Everything we've gotten there has always been so much better than anything you can find in a grocery store, and the volunteers are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about what they are selling.”

Laura Harvey, editor of Unity's classic devotional magazine Daily Word, tries to visit The Gardens weekly during the open season. “Thinking back on last year, I remember the peaches were amazing! The watermelon and cantaloupe were also favorites for me. And I bought carton after carton of tomatoes and peppers to make my weekly batch of homemade salsa. It's been a long winter, so I'm really excited that The Gardens are open again!”

Growing Again
This year visitors will find several new additions to The Gardens. The historic apple barn—the only remaining original structure from the early Unity Farm—and a donated hoop house have been restored. An additional two-acre orchard should begin producing apples in three or four years.

Other enhancements include new bee hives, new trees in the orchard, an extensive rain barrel system to supply water to specific areas, and a solar-powered fence. They have also added a new water line to the barn to facilitate canning and selling of jams and apple butter under their own unique label. Preparations have already begun for a new herb garden with blueberry bushes, flowers and perennial herbs, many of the latter transplanted from the surrounding fields.

According to Best, as a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization, The Gardens appreciates the generosity of its many friends and supporters. “Over the past two years [we have] gratefully received a truck, equipment and materials such as a watering tank, hoses, natural pest control supplies, organic seeds and rain collection barrels, not to mention the hours of volunteer labor required to make it all happen. Donors, including foundations, individuals and Unity churches, have contributed thousands of dollars in working capital as well. The Gardens at Unity Village is truly an expression of the prosperity of the universe!”

Educating the Public
The Gardens has several educational workshops and activities scheduled for this year.

The popular Recycled Tote Bags Workshop demonstrates how to create beautiful and functional tote bags made from repurposed plastic bags. At a Rain Barrel Workshop, participants construct and take home their own rain barrel. A spring foraging tour to find backyard edibles, a raw foods class, planting culinary and medicinal herbs and an apple butter festival are also among the organization's offerings.

Drayton Riley with The Gardens says, “We are about educating the community, offering hands-on workshops, demonstrations and natural gardening experiences—a living classroom—where we share the value of locally grown produce and ‘green' practices. We aren't just selling a product at the market stand. We're sharing our vision, creating conversations and developing relationships to make each customer's visit an enjoyable and educational experience.”