The long planned annual event took place on May 20 in the parking lot of the Neighborhood Engagement Hub.
Distribution Day is one of huge visible steps in Edible Flint’s goal of enabling families to grow the plants and seeds to their families
A small work group gathers in January to assess feedback from the event the year before and determine through that information the transplants and seeds that were provided the year before, then decide what will be available this time around.
Four different kits were offered: A Kitchen Kit, featuring 19 plants and 4 kinds of seeds, a Greens Kit that contained 12 plants , collards, cabbage and kale plus 5 different packs of seeds, a Herb Kit designed to grow, taste and flavor, and a Pepper Pack featuring all of the varieties of Hot, Spicy peppers we all love.
This small work group of analytical, gutsy dreamers, backed by a Board of Directors that believes and trusts in the goal of making it possible for the larger community to control what they eat by planting what they need.
In January Walker Farms, Wojo’s Greenhouse and MarySam’s Gardens accepted Edible Flint’s orders to grow the transplants to create 900 garden kits. Seeds were ordered and packaged for every kit. The seeds arrive in packages as small as 1/4 ounce to as large as 10 pounds. They are individually packaged for each kit -1/16th teaspoon amounts (think patiently filling 500 such tiny packets), to counting the zucchini seeds for 4 hills of zucchini in a garden. Intrepid volunteers “gifted” this process for 3 days!
Order forms were then printed and posted all over town, sent to previous buyers and potential urban farmers and by May 6th the countdown to the big event in May is underway!
An order for 400 bags of compost was made to Country Oaks Landscape Supply that was then boosted by another 100 bags, each weighing in at 32 lbs.
All 8 tons of this compost was then later loaded into gardener’s vehicles by another band of hardy volunteers!
On the morning of the 20th a crew of Rotarians and Flint Fresh loaded 89 flats of vegetables that were grown by Walker’s Farms to the Neighborhood Engagement Hub where more volunteers sorted and packaged them into the kits.
Simultaneously, Wojo’s arrived with 187 more flats of veggies for the crew to sort.
MarySam’s herb kits are delivered to the tables, the compost truck arrives, final construction of garden kits are completed and lines of vehicles of intrepid urban farmers arrive to begin their Summer’s work.
Edible Flint thanks the many volunteers, the gift of space and especially the people that grow.
Whenever you may need some help and advice, the Edible Flint Demonstration Farm on Beach and 12th Street (1 block West of Saginaw) is the place for learning. Featuring hoop houses, gardens and great gardeners!
