Food for All Garden

Then & Now

One August afternoon in 2012, a bulldozer tackled a jungle in Clinton… clearing land behind the Episcopal Church of the Holy Advent, knocking down tall trees and shoving underbrush out of the way. When the dust cleared, there was a beautiful sight – a large level plot with hardly a rock on it!

Church members, who had hosted the food pantry in Clinton over the past decade, immediately saw the potential for a garden to augment the pantry offerings. Rob Chase, who at the time owned Spencer Hill Farm in Killingworth, worked closely with parishioners and other volunteers to get the project off the ground. In the spring of 2013, a hardy band of volunteers put deer fencing around the main garden (measuring 100x200 feet), installed water lines, dug beds, planted seeds, and transplanted seedlings started by Shoreline Gardens in Clinton. Money was raised, more volunteers came, tool sheds were built, a greenhouse was assembled.By the end of that first season, the proud gardeners (all amateurs) had contributed 3,750 pounds of vegetables, herbs and flowers to the food pantry, which is one of five in the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries network. The Clinton pantry assists at least 120 households every week, with residents coming not only from Clinton but also Killingworth and many other nearby Shoreline towns.

The second year, the Food for All Garden contributed 5,900 pounds and last year, 6,580 pounds – bringing the grand total of fresh produce supplied to well over 8 tons! Over this time, the garden has been expanded and improved, thanks to generous donations from several area foundations as well as local civic and church organizations. Moreover, the CT Department of Agriculture gave a significant grant to cover the expenses of digging a well and erecting a hoop house (high tunnel), to help assure sustainability and at least slightly extend the growing season. The real secret has been hard-working volunteers, who manage to have fun no matter how hot, sweaty and dirty they become!