Expansion at Briggs Ave Community Garden

Thanks to many helping hands this parcel of land on Briggs Avenue in Durham, NC went from this in August 2007...

to this beautiful green oasis today -- the Briggs Avenue Community Garden!

Now the garden is expanding to include a fruit orchard adjacent to the existing plots and an irrigation system to make it easier for gardeners to water their plots. If you are a plot owner, a gardener, a student, a community member or just anyone interested in getting your hands dirty and working for a good cause, WE COULD USE YOUR HELP!

There are several volunteer opportunities over the next few weeks that include:

·         Cutting and stacking wood for making bio-char
·         Reinforcing the fence to keep the groundhog out
·         Pruning blackberries and retraining them
·         Installing the irrigation piping
·         Taping the irrigation female connecters with Teflon prior to the irrigation installation
·         Painting the shed
·         General maintenance – mowing and weeding

Workday Calendar
*** Provided it does not rain and there are no delays ***


If you plan to volunteer please email the appropriate person listed in the description section of each Volunteer Workday. You do not have to volunteer the entire time – please give us an idea of how long you will be able to help.
 

Have Extra Garden Produce? Donate to Students in Need

-- Durham, NC

Hello Briggs Avenue Gardeners,

I’m Sally Parlier, the Volunteer Coordinator at Durham Tech. You may have seen me and some of our students volunteering during garden workdays. I’m writing to announce a new garden initiative that will gather gardeners’ extra produce and distribute it to our students in need.

At Durham Tech, our students often go to school while working and supporting their families. They can struggle to make ends meet as they seek to better their lives through education, and we’ve noticed that some students are having a hard time affording groceries and healthy food. This summer, Durham Tech is piloting a program to distribute fresh produce to students in need on our campus.

In order to do this, we need your help! If you have excess fruits and vegetables from your plot at Briggs and would like to make a donation, you can do one of two things:

1. Meet me in the garden. Durham Tech volunteers and I will be in the garden working and accepting donations on the following Tuesdays during workdays:



2. Email me to let me know what you’d like to donate and your plot number. Volunteers and I will harvest your specific donation on the Tuesdays when we’re volunteering. Please send an email to parliers@durhamtech.edu or call me at 919-536-7231 (ext. 8194).

* Please note: We will never take from a gardener’s plot without his/her consent. You are in no way obligated to make donations of your produce to our cause, and you don’t have to donate every week. Even one time donations are helpful.

If the July pilot goes well, we’d like to continue this project through the growing season. Thank you for your consideration. Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or wish to make a donation.

Get your hands dirty this summer!