BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Community Garden committee recently donated 65 pounds of fresh produce to the local food pantry, bringing the total amount for the season to a whopping 540 pounds. This included an immense variety of vegetables, such as tomatoes, various kinds of squash, peppers, kale, collards, Swiss chard, cucumbers, basil and peppermint.
“In 2021, donations from both gardens to local food pantries was 712 pounds by October. This year we have exceeded 500 pounds as of August. Our goal is 1,000 pounds, so we are doing even better,” 3rd Ward Councilwoman Sarah Cruz said. “I am the council liaison to the committee and have a plot myself at Milbank. Gardening with neighbors is very rewarding because you get produce for your own home and you can also contribute to the community food banks who don’t often get fresh fruits and vegetables.”
The Bloomfield Community Garden committee’s mission is to prolong an invested interest in maintaining and enhancing Bloomfield’s community garden spaces, organizing and promoting various community garden activities and projects, and fostering a community garden spirit that celebrates recreational organic gardening. In addition to conducting garden-related activities and workshops, the committee also harvests and delivers community garden produce to the local food pantry in coordination with the Neighbor to Neighbor Network.
If interested in joining the community garden, email [email protected].