West Milford — Are you a veteran or novice gardener without enough space, or who would like to work with a community of friendly, knowledgeable gardeners? There are plots now available at the West Milford Organic Community Garden.
This will be the garden's eighth season. Located in a beautiful setting at Apple Acres on Union Valley Road, the community garden is animated by organic principles and practices. Gardeners use no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Instead, for fertility they use compost, manure, organic lime and other inputs, and for pest control, natural methods like proper nutrition, plants which attract beneficial insects and repel harmful ones, organic repellents, companion planting, and various other ways of working with nature are used.
Sustainable West Milford will hold its orientation on Tuesday, March 18, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Hillcrest Community Center, 1810 Macopin Road. At this meeting they will handle all paperwork and discuss garden business for the coming year. The fee for the season is $40 for one 8-foot by 8-foot plot, $70 for two.
The garden is a cooperative effort, where experienced veterans and enthusiastic new gardeners work together to share knowledge and solve problems and ensure that members have the most fun and fruitful gardening season possible, with all possible benefits to the community. There are always new things to learn, and best of all, there's all that delicious and healthy food to enjoy, always with the knowledge that gardeners grew it themselves, which makes it as fulfilling spiritually as physically.
If all that weren't enough, through their partnership with the Ample Harvest program, gardeners can donate their extra produce to local food pantries.
For more information about Sustainable West Milford, the Organic Community Garden, or any of their other programs or events, visit their Web site at sustainablewestmilford.org.