Gideon’s Garden is a place where young people (grade school and up) plant, tend, and harvest food for local food pantries and community meals programs.

In the winter of 2008, some St. James young people started dreaming. On a bright, crisp day in June 2009 their dream became a reality. On that day about 30 people came to bless and plant a 1/3-acre plot of earth at Taft Farms. We named the plot “Gideon’s Garden”. The name “Gideon’s Garden” comes from Gideon Bostwick, who was the first full-time rector of St. James (1770-1793).
Gideon’s Garden is not just any garden because the young people who first dreamed about it wanted it to help feed hungry people. The generous harvest of Gideon’s Garden supplies meals for the Breaking Bread Kitchen. Vegetables go to the People’s Pantry and to a dozen different families. The Garden now hosts children from multi-cultural backgrounds during the BRIDGE Spring and Summer Camp programs. The youth work and harvest in the Garden and get very excited about eating the vegetables they pick! Gideon’s Garden also works with the WIC division of the Community Health Program in teaching families with young children how to prepare nutritious meals with the crops harvested from the garden. This year WIC has been given their own row of veggies to care for over the summer.

The youth germinated the idea, and St. James’ parishioner Pennie Curry nurtured it. For the third year, Taft Farms owners, Dan and Martha Tawczynski, have graciously contributed the plants and let the youth use over 1/2 acre of land. Taft Farms also helps decide what should be planted and prepares the ground for the garden, which is just across from Taft Farms on Division St. in Great Barrington.

Gideon’s Garden is a place where

• people of all ages are welcome
• people go to pray…as families and as individuals
• all kinds of people come together for a common cause
• souls are nourished
• not only the ground, but people and even animals are blessed
• “the Spirit moves where it will”, and we know it.

 

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