Parish Gardens
The Harvest is Plentiful, but the Laborers are Few. Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Joseph parishes have active Garden Ministry groups in need of additional volunteers from any of the three parishes within Parish Family 45. Both groups meet during the months of May through October to harvest and tend the gardens. The Garden Ministry group at Our Lady of Lourdes meets from 9 to 11 am on Monday and Thursday mornings. The team at St. Joseph’s meets on Wednesday mornings between the same hours. Starting in February, a subset of members from both groups will meet to seed many of the crops grown in the gardens (dates and times to be decided).
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The Lourdes Garden is especially in need of able-bodied men to help install the deer fence around the perimeter of the garden, to install posts for our pole beans, and to help with the installation of T-post stakes for our 100+ tomato plants. This work typically occurs during the month of April.
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Please consider donating one to two hours a week to feed the hungry. All food grown in the gardens is donated to the St. Vincent De Paul food pantry. During the 2025 growing season, the two gardens donated approximately 4,100 pounds of fresh, organic produce to our neighbors in need.
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No previous gardening experience is necessary. You will be enthusiastically welcomed and “shown the ropes” and it’s an excellent way to make new friends. Remember that helping the needy through the St. Vincent De Paul food pantry is an act of mercy that pleases God. For more information, please contact Pam Ballard (Our Lady of Lourdes) at pamballard219@comcast.net or Jerome Devlaeminck (St. Joseph) at jerome52@comcast.net.