During the month of July Incredible Edible Merchantville added two gardens to our Sustainable Landscape Registry. We welcomed the Bouvier Family's garden on July 16th. They have a plot at the Community Center and are growing a variety of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and some flowers for pollinators. At home they also grow herbs, green onions, and flowers, including milkweed for monarchs. On July 27th, Mary-Noelle at sent pictures of her garden at 48 Volan Street. She and her neighbor, Sam, at 54 Volan Street share their gardens. Mare is full sun and she’s part shade, so she does things like lettuces and leafy greens and I do peppers, tomatoes and eggplant. Sharing the garden is a lot of fun since we get to plan, shop, dig and plant together and the kids get into it too, plus there’s always someone to water if you’re away! Sustainable landscaping is a goal of our program. Send pictures and a description of your garden to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join!

Lynn Geddes’ gorgeous garden was the site of this month’s IE meeting. It was a learning experience where members, Lynn Geddes, Kerry Mentzer and Cindy Hertneck, shared gardening know-how, food and foul stories and, discussed ways to engage our community in this sustainable living effort. We have become dependent on food that is prepared for us, quick and easy but costly to ourselves and our environment. Many of us have lost the skills we need to nurture ourselves and our families with healthy locally produced food and we want that to change – to give people the skills and information they need to take control of their lives, feed themselves well and prepare our younger generations for the future. Since June Incredible Edible Merchantville has provided more than 150 bags of community grown produce to the Grace Episcopal Church food pantry. Join this effort. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

This backyard garden, at 23 East Chestnut Avenue in Merchantville, featuring an overhead irrigation system, is an inspiration to Incredible Edible and everyone who values sustainable land practices and food justice - especially during times like these. Taken on June 15th, 1937, it shows (left to right) B. Smith, William Hurg, Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Hahn, Mr. Hahn Sr., J. Hannigan, and J.D. Campbell, standing under a high-tech, state of art, overhead irrigation system. The photo was shared by the Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission on their Facebook timeline. 1925-31 Courier Post ads for pure bred Barred Rock Cockerels and hatching eggs.

Alongside the driveway at the Chestnut Station Senior Complex is a hidden gem of an Incredible Edible Garden and the perfect example of a a creative way to transform an unused hardscape into a sustainable landscape. This garden is carefully nurtured by resident volunteer, Francis Mcgarry, and produces annual seasonal vegetables that support food security and nutrition for many seniors living in the complex. Incredible Edible Merchantville, maintains more than a dozen small action garden/pollinator projects in town and has added 17 residential and business gardens to their Sustainable Landscape Registry this year. We applaud every small action in the Borough that promotes land stewardship, food justice and sustainability. Register your garden by sending pics & info to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

At Incredible Edible Merchantville food security is part of our mission and one of our top priorities. To that end, we are hoping to partner with local food banks to share our excess harvest during this growing season. On Monday, June 1st, the Dolores F. Clark Food Pantry at Grace Church accepted our offer of surplus produce. Their pantry takes place on Wednesdays from 12-2PM. If you have fresh greens and vegetables to donate please drop them off at the church (side door) to Peggy Stephens between 9-11AM this Wednesday, June 3rd. All harvested items should be washed and bagged before donating. IE Merchantville will be creating some packaging labels and distribute bags/labels to participating members by next week. We are very excited to have an opportunity to support food justice, nurture environmental stewardship and promote a healthy culture and sustainable future.

After 6-year battle a Florida couple won the right to plant vegetables in their front yard. Hermine Ricketts and her husband, Tom Carroll, planted in front of their home in Miami Shores, FL on the day a Florida law went into effect that nullifies local bans on vegetable gardens at residential properties. That ordinance, which was tightened to forbid vegetables in the front yard on the grounds that they were unsightly and imposed a daily $50 fine - had forced the couple to uproot a garden in 2013 that Ricketts had tended for 17 years. But, she lawyered up, reached out to Institute for Justice and after six years they won! An appeals court also ruled against Ricketts, but the Florida Legislature passed a bill protecting vegetable gardens, and last week Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law.