Common Ground Garden

When most people look at a bare 1.25 acre parcel of land, they see…weeds, dirt and …well, that’s it. But when Tara Varga Russell and the Common Ground team looked at the little acreage next to Eastwind Community Church (ECC) , they saw beauty and jobs and friendships and giving back to nature and a movement to help those who have the least with the little that we’ve got! 

Welcome to Common Ground – The Garden (we call it a “farm”)! Since you are reading this, I have a feeling you also see far more than mounds of dirt when you pass the Common Ground garden spot. Perhaps you see a place to give, perhaps a place to grow (both plants and you), or a place for refugees to get a new start in life. Or perhaps your wonder, “What can you do with this tiny bit of ground?”

Frankly, at times I look at this little plot and wonder how we can make a go of it. But I am a wordsmith and our “Land Team” are green visionaries with the know-how to make it happen. Days went into planning the layout of the farm. Our Land Team includes master landscape architect Katie Wilde; land engineer, Stephen Richey; land manager, Ben Varga, head farmer, Mackenzie Rivers and many more talented folks. The result of their planning and the help of dozens of volunteers, is a very intensive farming operation. Let’s take a tour.

When you pull in behind ECC, to the west you see mounds of dirt. Look a little closer, the mounds are actually beds, 140 of them. They are of differing lengths and shapes, depending on the plants planned to occupy them. Some are 4’ x 4’ others are 4’ x 12” and…you get the picture. Irrigation pipes have been laid and the drip irrigation system installed, just in time for planting (if we can avoid any more frosty nights!). Planting is beginning.

Recently, I spoke with head farmer, Mackenzie Rivers to understand what’s happening. Here’s what I learned.

Organic, sustainable, local is not just a motto. It is the operating plan for the garden. We are using natural fertilizer (euphemism for high quality, seasoned manure), combining plants that protect from bugs with plants the need the protection, focusing on materials that can be obtained locally and sold locally, and that can produce in a way that sustains the operation and the training purposes behind the Common Ground movement.

Back to the beds. The beds are shaped as they are for two purposes, to provide the very best growing environment and to provide learning opportunities for our trainees. For example, lettuce will be planted in squares versus rows because lettuce does better in a square and it allows a trainee to work with a mentor side by side or face to face more effectively.

Diversity. We will be planting 25 crops, but that’s not all. Within each crop there may be as many as 8 different varieties. For example, we will plant 8 types of tomatoes, 6 types of potatoes, a variety of beans, carrots, peas, and on it goes. We will also be planting crops our international friends are familiar with. For example, we’ll plant Asian greens, basil, shallots, as well as plants not necessarily common to local produce stands, but easily grown here.

Community. Yes, community. We are planting communities of plants. Instead of plants growing in single variety groupings, we will be doing what is called “undercropping” and combining for the maximum effectiveness and health of the plants. For example, tomatoes will have edible flowers growing under their canopy, often protecting the tomatoes from pests and the flowers from the sun.

Sustainability. We are planting a 3-cycle farm. This means once production starts, we will have three main planting seasons and harvests from start to finish of the growing year. It’s possible, that even in our first year, this plot could produce 20,000 pounds of produce…and train perhaps as many as 60 – 100 refugees with skills they can use on the job.

All this in just 1.25 acres of land and the biggest hearts I have ever known. If you get a chance, drop by the garden and enjoy the spirit and energy of this amazing place.

Sandi F