Jack’s Beanstalk and pollinator garden is growing! Provider green beans, frijol-rojo-de-seda red silk beans and golden-rocky-beans were planted along the brick border wall at the Wellwood Park tennis courts on May 4th as a small project for our Incredible Edible Merchantville program and are coming along nicely.  Enjoyed a successful morning on May 19th weeding, planting protective companions - marigolds - and watering. Looks like very few seeds have been eaten by the local inhabitants and we should have a pickable crop soon! 

On Saturday, May 11th, at the corner of browning Road and West Chestnut Avenue along the bike path, volunteers from IE Merchantville and the Garden Club gathered to get their hands dirty helping to plant Merchantville's first Sunflower Garden.  Lots of fun and learning took place as all participants enjoyed an opportunity to invest in community spirit.

The monthly meeting for IE Merchantville will take place on Wednesday, May 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the library. Group members, community stakeholders and interested residents/neighbors are invited to attend. Incredible Edible Merchantville is an eco-friendly collaborative project intended to grow the Borough beyond our farmers market to create a supportive culture of understanding, learning and action towards environmental stewardship and a healthy, sustainable future.

If you look closely you'll see residents joining in the IE effort to add curb appeal and improve the life and look of their neighborhood with a curbside garden. Our "Herb Your Curb" project encourages Merchantvillians to reclaim this forgotten hellstrip and create some native habitats that will cool ground temperatures, absorb and filter rainwater, support pollinators, and bring a smile to the passersby. Get creative and join our community sustainability and land stewardship efforts.

Are you able to have a garden this year? Interest in growing food is on the rise in Merchantville, but having your own plot of produce or herbs may seem impossible if you lack enough outdoor space, sun or just don’t know how to garden. The answer is garden sharing and it's happening here. According to the National Gardening Association, at least 2 million people have caught onto this idea and are gardening at the home of a friend, neighbor or relative already. It’s a great way to get more people growing food, eating healthier and building connections in their community. Learn more and share your green space!

Beans for our small action IE project, "Jack's Beanstalks", at the Wellwood Park Tennis Courts include Provider Green beans and Golden Rocky beans from the Experimental Farm Network, a seed program that facilitates collaborative plant breeding and sustainable agriculture research in order to fight global climate change, preserve the natural environment, and ensure food security for humanity into the distant future. They believe participatory plant breeding on a massive scale can lead to breakthroughs to help us not only adapt to climate change, but one day actually stabilize the climate. We will also be planting Red Silk beans from True Love Seeds, a seed company offering rare, open pollinated, and culturally important vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Our seeds are grown by more than 20 small-scale urban and rural farmers committed to community food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and sustainable agriculture.