So far, Church Community Services’ ‘Seed to Feed” program has harvested 17,500 lbs. of food for Elkhart’s food pantries

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Caring, Church Community Services, Community, Community Services, Donations, Donors, Farmers, Food, Food bank, Food Pantry, Fresh Garden Vegetables, Gardening, Helping Neighbors, Hunger, Seed to Feed, Volunteers

‘Seed to feed’ is a program through Church Community Services where fresh produce is provided to local food pantries. The idea started two years ago and last year, 55 acres of corn and beans were planted to help fund the project and a one acre vegetable garden was planted. Shortly after its start, another garden was donated and a farmer donated 3 acres of potatoes.

Volunteers at Goshen’s garden work hard to harvest the last of summer produce. Volunteers are always needed to help pick vegetables from the programs many gardens. Donations of extra food from individual gardens are also accepted.

In its first year, 25,941 pounds of fresh produce was donated. This year the goal is the same and community involvement has increased. This summer six gardens were planted and so far, 17,000 pounds of produce has been harvested. Money from the cash crops has been used to go to the Wakarusa Produce Auction to purchase additional produce.

There are two fields of income crops being grown and this year a livestock component has been added as well.

More about ‘Seed to Feed’ HERE and HERE.

Jeremy Shue, Director of the Goshen Garden, with volunteers stand proudly behind vegetables they just harvested.

‘Seed to Feed’ thanks all the volunteers who give generously of their time and their muscles to help in the gardens. Listed below are all the gardens and scheduled work days.

PLEASE CALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE!

Goshen Garden: 14723 CR 36, Goshen. Mondays @ 5:30pm. Coordinator: Jeremy Shue: jeremyshue@gmail.com. 574-536-2010

Bullard Garden: 22104 CR 14, Elkhart. Tuesdays @ 5:30pm. Coordinator: Kurt Bullard: Kurtbullard4444@gmail.com. 574-298-9059

CCS Garden: 902 Thomas St, Elkhart. Wed & Thurs @ 8:00am. Coordinator: Katie Jantzen: mailto:Kurtbullard4444@gmail.com. 574-295-3673 ext 122

Northwest Goshen: 538 S. Indiana Ave, Goshen. Wednesdays @ 5:30pm. Coordinator: Andrea Milne andreajillmilne@gmail.com. 574-400-5858

Heart’s Desire Garden: 3030 Old US 20, Elkhart. Thursdays @ 5:30pm. Coordinator: Dave Hochstetler Dhhooch@aol.com. 574-349-4905

See you at the gardens!

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‘Strong Woman’ from Soup of Success…because we need to hear MORE good news

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Challenge, Church Community Services, Civic Engagement, Community, Community Service, Constitution, Education, Education Empowers, Elkhart County, Elkhart County Indiana, Ensuring Success, Family Fun, Food, Food Pantry, Freedom, Goshen, Indiana, Life Skills, Need, Soup of Success, Volunteer, Volunteering, Women, Work

Need some inspiration?

WEEKLY ‘SEED TO FEED’ UPDATE…IT IS ALL GOOD!

Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2012 7:45 AM
Subject: Seed to Feed Weekly Update

Hi Everyone,

This past week we had two great harvests at both of our gardens. There
were 29 volunteers who showed up at the Bullard Garden on Monday and 25
volunteers at the Goshen Garden on Tuesday. Thank You all.

We are moving the time of the Bullard Garden picking to 6:00 p.m. We are moving the time of the Bullard Garden picking on Monday evenings. We still need 30 volunteers to pick green beans and sweet corn. Although we will pick on Monday evenings, if anyone wants to pull weeds between the rows, please do so at your own time schedule. If more weeds are pulled,that means more beans get picked. The Bullard Garden is
directly across from Sorg Jewelers, C.R. 17. With 30 volunteers, weeds pulled and fast pickers, we could pick a 1000# of green beans in 3 hrs—-we have lots of beans!!!!!

The Goshen Garden has tons of green tomatoes that should be ready
soon. We will pick every Tuesday at 6:00pm and it is located at 14723
C.R. 36. Last week with 25 volunteers, we picked 11 boxes of beans, tomatoes
and peppers in 1 1/2 hours.

This was a great week and thanks to ALL the volunteers that came and
helped pick. See you Monday and Tuesday at the gardens.

Blessings
Dave Hochstetler

We ARE our brother’s keeper: Elkhart County works together to assist neighbors in need

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Benefit, Civic Engagement, Community, Community Service, Depression, Elkhart County, Elkhart County Indiana, Food Banks, Food Pantry, Gardens, Indiana, Need, Recession, United States, Vegetables

Helping hands come in all shapes and sizes.

Elkhart County’s community gardens bring people together of all ages and from every walk of life. You DON’T have to be an experienced gardener to be of assistance. One woman who picked beans last night told me that she had never before picked a bean in her life. But, she said she likes how working in the garden makes her feel. “This feeds people here in our community,” she explains. “We can get a little sweaty and dirty for someone else. Giving back is a good thing.”

Despite this summer’s earlier drought, I do not think it possible for the bean crop to have been MORE prolific. I have NEVER seen bean bushes so laden.

As the economic recession keeps demand at food banks running high, the “big need” and “big hearts” keep “Seed to Feed” volunteers motivated.

Hi, it’s me. I cheated and brought a garden cart to wheel around on.

Get involved! We believe God will continue to bring people and resources together to produce a harvest of vegetables as well as fruit in the lives of those giving and receiving.

Wow! Look at the results. According to Dave Hochstetler, Seed to Feed Coordinator, yesterday volunteers picked 210 pounds of beans and 94 pounds of cucumbers and tomatoes. All from the Goshen farm!

These tomatoes will be SO appreciated by Church Community Service’s food pantry clients!

‘Seed to Feed’s’ coordinator, Dave Hochstetler, says that the vegetables are coming in so plentifully that “Seed to Feed” needs 30 pickers each time: Mondays at 9 a.m., Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Tell your churches, tell your clubs, tell your families. Great group project. Call Dave for details: 574-349-4905 or dhhooch@aol.com .

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TODAY: Nappanee is Having a Block Party

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Block Party, Community, Event, Events, Family Event, Free School Supplies, Fundraiser, Get-together, Good Food, Good Times, Indiana, Kid's Games, Kids Events, Music, Nappanee Indiana, Neighborhood Fun, School Daze

Here are the times and the locations of the events going on in Nappanee today:

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‘Seed to Feed’ has yielded 510 pounds of food so far this summer! More volunteers needed!

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Community, Community Service, Food, Food Pantries, Food security, Garden, Goshen, Green bean, Harvest, Home, Home-Grown, Potatoes, Sweet corn, Tomatoes, Tuesday, Vegetables, Volunteer, Volunteering

Posted on August 10, 2012 by churchcommunityservices

Yield from the Goshen farm.

Beautiful produce from our beautiful Seed to Feed acre in Goshen.  Our clients are so happy!

Fresh vegetables for Elkhart Counties food pantries.

Fresh air, exercise, good honest dirt, and service that helps sustains CCS’s food supply: From now till the end of harvest season, Seed to Feed will need at least 15 volunteers 2 days a week. We will pick the green beans and sweet corn at the Bullard Garden every Monday at 9:00am. It is located on C.R.17 and Middlebury St, directly across from Sorg Jewelers on the west side of C.R.17.

The Fresh Produce Garden in Goshen will be picked every Tuesday at 7:00pm. It is located at 14723 CR36. It is just east of CR33 about 1/8 of a mile on the north side of CR36. The gardens are really starting to produce nice yields each week and should until the end of the season. If you can help, please contact Church Community Services either by email (dhhooch@aol.com) or phone (574-349-4905).

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