Author - MJ Wentzel, Compost Committee Chair
Most garden members know we pick up produce from the Community Food Pantry, a partner of Feeding Tampa Bay. But did you know a team from the Compost Committee picks up and transports expired produce six days a week?
These contributions allow us to produce enough compost to enrich the soil in every raised garden bed at VISTA.
Did you know that we are the only community garden producing enough compost for every gardener with an all-volunteer crew?
So, we want to share with everyone this most amazing fact that the Pantry just shared with us.
ARE YOU READY?
In the year of 2019, we picked up 33,740 pounds of produce to make compost!
WOW! That results in a lot of happy worms, not to mention strong backs for compost volunteers!
It is important that everyone knows who these dedicated people are. When you see them around the garden, please thank them for the beautiful “Black Gold” that enriches your gardens and supports plantings with beneficial microbes. Gratitude to Rolfe, Mary Ellen, MJ, Jim, Hugh & Marilyn, Cheryl.
And a shout out to VISTA gardners who come over when they see us unloading produce and offer to help transfer those heavy boxes and bags from our vehicles into the compost geo bins. We thank you all!
