COMMUNITY GARDEN

---

Our gardens continue to evolve. 

Our harvest is primarily fresh tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. All have a very short shelf life, so immediate distribution is necessary. Therefore, we have established Sharing Tables at the Library, Town Hall, Post Offices, and Transfer Station, to make FREE vegetables available to everyone throughout the season.  We hope you have enjoyed this shared bounty.    

The Pollinating Garden also continues to evolve. Take some time to linger and savor the beauty of many different plants whose flowering blooms attract a wide variety of native wildlife. 

There are also three stone benches, plus excellent Wi-Fi reception to enhance your visit.  

Many thanks to our Volunteer Master Gardener whose dedication makes all this magic happen.

Demand at local food banks continues to increase. Please help support these local heroes.

Our gardens have evolved over the past few years. Exceptional hot, then wet, then dry conditions were a real challenge. Demand at the local food banks has significantly increased, and our output barely made a dent with so much need.  Our produce also had a shorter shelf life - meaning immediate distribution was necessary.  Therefore, we have developed Sharing Tables at the Library, Town Hall, Post Offices, Transfer Station, etc. with free food available to everyone throughout the growing months. Harvest consists primarily of fresh tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. We hope you have enjoyed this shared bounty.

So take some time to linger in our pollinating garden where different flowering plants are blooming all the time. There are three stone benches, plus excellent Wi-Fi reception.  

 2022

Over the winter, heavy beds of mulch were laid over all the grounds destined to be pollinating gardens, while a carload of bulbs wintered up in the greenhouses at Beech Hill Bison Ranch. Soon they will be united. This year we plan to grow herbs and vegetables specifically requested by the Food Banks in the backyard gardens.

2021

Another summer of variable weather conditions yielded a great crop of 17 pounds of garlic. Covid challenges continue. We would very much appreciate some younger volunteers for next summer. Otherwise, thanks to Al's Goats, great strides were made in eliminating our widespread poison ivy problem and other invasive species. Library Trustees are busily converting the grounds into pollinating gardens. This should help with future vegetable production.

2020

During the first wave of Covid, the Library donated all the funds designated for the annual Easter activities to both local Food Banks. Throughout the summer, brave efforts continued in the garden. The extremely hot and dry weather made growing vegetables a challenge, but volunteers did the best they could. 

2019  

The Waterford Library Community Garden finished up the season with cucumber plants, winter squash, herbs and tomatoes in the beds. A total of 53 pounds of beans and 25 pounds of cucumbers and summer squash were delivered to the food pantries by Carol Rothenberg.  Most produce went to Harrison, as Sweden is bi- weekly and our vegetables needed to go quickly. Thanks to Sandy Swett, the Harrison Food Bank has greatly expanded over the past year. We are grateful for this excellent local resource. Many thanks also to Linda Bradley for her leadership at the Sweden Food Pantry.

2018

Due to lack of rain, and hungry tiny visitors, 2018 was a lean year. No amount of watering could compensate for scorching  temperatures. The small harvest was discouraging, but lessons were learned. We are optimistic about production for 2019.

2015-2017  History

WATERFORD LIBRARY EXTENDS COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH DO IT YOURSELF GARDEN KITS The Waterford Library Community Garden did spectacularly well last year harvesting 278 lbs of produce from two backyard raised beds and even more from the squash mounds. The Sweden Food Pantry told us produce went out as fast as it came in.  People really appreciated all those fresh vegetables.  With that in mind, Geraldine O’Donnell, President of the Library Trustees, pursued the idea of assembling garden kits to go.  The Maine Community Foundation agreed and funded the project with nearly $2000! The grant paid for wooden kits purchased from Red Mill Lumber in Casco.  Bags of organic soil were also provided through the grant.  Veggie and herb seedlings were also donated by Jane Trail, Kimball’s Greenhouse, and from Geraldine’s own garden. Due to an overwhelming response, a special drawing was held for for the garden kits. Local contractor Dan Drew, Jane Traill, Bob Spencer, and Geri delivered kits to all selected.

 Sweden Food Pantry 

OPEN: 11 am-1 pm 1st and 3rd Wednesdays​​

Sweden Community Church  Rte.93 /137 Bridgton Rd.  

Sweden, ME 04040 

​lindalbradleythf@gmail.com​​

Harrison Food Bank  

OPEN:  1:30 pm -6:30 pm  every Tuesday 

Harrison VFW HALL   Rte. 35/ 176 Waterford Road Harrison, ME 04040  ​207-890-9742 harrisonfoodbank@gmail.com