Cummings Cove Victory Garden: A Record Breaking Year!
Cummings Cove Community in Hendersonville, NC is a beautiful mountain neighborhood framed by lovely views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to the lovely homes and landscapes, this neighborhood is home to a Victory Garden loaded with homegrown produce. This volunteer- supported, 1/3 acre production garden’s purpose is to grow nutritious produce for local folks struggling with food insecurities.
Working as the Wellness Director for this community has given me the privilege to become friends with many of the volunteer gardeners. For this reason, I was lucky enough to land an interview and a garden tour with one of the volunteer gardeners, Barbara Fricker. Continue reading to learn about the amazing things happening at the Cummings Cove Victory Garden!
What is a Victory Garden?
Victory gardens, also known as war gardens, were first started in the United States during World War I & II. The idea was that fruit and vegetable gardens were planted in private residences and parks to provide food security for local communities while other industrial resources could be saved for the war effort.
Fast forward more than one hundred years and victory gardens are making a comeback! These modern day Victory Gardens are supplying nutritious, homegrown staples to local families struggling with food insecurity. Additionally, many also support soup kitchens with fresh ingredients which are used to prepare warm meals for those in need. Growing a garden for the benefit of others is a tremendous gift of goodwill and without question makes a difference in many lives.
Details of Cummings Cove Victory Garden
The idea of the Cummings Cove Victory Garden was born approximately 15 years ago to help fight hunger in Western North Carolina. A resident named Clyde Case began the original garden with a handful of volunteers. In addition, Cummings Cove land developers gifted a plot of land for use. The first garden space had approximately eight beds. Currently, the garden is home to over ninety beds.
This beautiful haven of life sits on a 1/3 acre plot of flat land surrounded by a fence for safe-keeping. The growing season is mid March through mid November, at which time the raised beds are filled with many varieties of vegetables. In the warmer months, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, eggplant, okra and more can be found in magnitude. While the cooler months offer greens, cabbages, kale, collards, lettuces, and radishes.
A pergola entrance made from cedar welcomes you with its aroma and beauty. In addition to the veggie beds, the garden is home to several pollinator gardens loaded with native flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers, and bee balm. These spaces of beauty attract bees, butterflies, and birds, which benefit the garden and support the ecosystem. Additionally, a very impressive scarecrow guards the space while adding to the creative vibe of his surroundings.
“If You Cannot Feed A Hundred People, Then Feed Just One.” -Mother Teresa-
Volunteers Sowing Seeds of Love
To say the volunteers at the Cummings Cove Victory Garden have a plethora of skills and abilities is an understatement! In fact, I learned very quickly that all the volunteers have their own special skills which come together beautifully to support the massive project.
For example, several of the volunteers have years of gardening and growing experience. These folks act as leaders thanks to their horticulture knowledge and know-how. However, let us not forget the planning of such an endeavor begins way before any plants go into the ground. Gardening is a year-round activity of detailed planning, scheduling, and plotting. Starting the plants from seed begins late winter when thousands of plants are nurtured indoors until the time is just right for planting.
In addition, building projects such as the raised beds, a pergola, and ramps are designed and built by a group of volunteers with carpentry skills. Lastly, the garden is adorned with creative expressions such as birdhouses, signs, and other wooden artwork.
Without a doubt, many people contribute in their own special way. During my visit, I was reminded of all the specialized skills and talents represented within the paths of tomatoes, cukes, and eggplant. Indeed, love is sowed, watered, fed, and harvested on this lovely plot of land.
Chef Lisa wrote an article recently about her experience volunteering in the Cummings Cove Victory Garden. Read it Here.
A Day in the Life of a Victory Garden Volunteer
While touring the garden, I quickly realized this project was a serious one! Feeding those in need by growing food is no easy feat! However, this group of compassionate volunteers show up with a pep in their step and a smile on their faces, ready to tackle the task at hand!
- Work days during the growing season are 3-4 days a week and begin at 8am and last for several hours.
- Harvest days are 3-4 days a week and consist of harvesting, boxing up the produce, weighing and recording the produce, loading it in vehicles, and delivering it to community organizations.
- The entire garden is watered twice weekly and fed monthly.
- Please don’t forget the chore of weeding!
- This garden runs like a machine thanks to the giving hearts of the hard-working volunteers. Every detail is considered, plans are established, and duties are accomplished. For these reasons, beautiful boxes of produce are hand delivered weekly to organizations which pass them along to local families in need.
Funding the Cummings Cove Victory Garden
Raising funds for the Victory Garden is multifaceted. A variety of fundraisers are established throughout the year to support the garden. Interesting enough, many community events and activities contribute to the funding of the garden. Check out the list below:
- Annual spring plant sale.
- Pickleball fundraiser events.
- Golfing fundraiser events.
- Community craft fairs.
- Holiday fundraising events.
- Individual donations.
- Donations from a variety of social events.
- Donations from Blantyre Station, a local garden center.
Providing Nourishment & Food Security for Others
Hundreds of pounds of produce is delivered weekly to several Henderson/Transylvania Counties foodbanks for distribution. Much needed food is harvested and delivered from April through November. That’s 7 months a year of nutritious dense produce for local families in need!
This year has been a year of great abundance! A whopping 6,400 pounds of food was recently documented in August, which was the total of produce grown the whole last growing season! In addition, the fall crops are just getting started! This year is shaping up to be a bounty of record-breaking nourishment! Indeed, many local families will be blessed with nutritious vegetables this year!
Final Thoughts
While driving to work each morning, I pass by the Victory Garden. It always makes me smile to see the beds overflowing with produce, the sunflowers and zinnias reaching for the sunshine, and the volunteers buzzing around performing their tasks. Cummings Cove Victory Garden has been blessed with a record-breaking year. Subsequently, many local families will be blessed as well.
Learn more about Cummings Cove Community at their website Here.
