Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Garden of the Month - The Learning Garden (TAFB), Fort Worth

The Learning Garden, a program of Tarrant Area Food Bank, truly has something for everyone. Visitors will immediately notice the variety of beds at the demonstration site, including in-ground, raised, and container beds bearing a variety of leafy greens, eggplants, tomatoes, okra, herbs, broccoli, kale and more. You can see traditional farmer’s rows and raised beds as well as permaculture models, such as keyhole and hugelkultur beds. The garden utilizes organic practices and plants native or heirloom species as much as possible. Tarrant Area Food Bank believes that teaching people from all walks of life how to garden—and to share the excess—can make a significant difference in alleviating hunger in our community. Further, the skills developed, along with improved access to resources, also benefit hungry families that participate in the program. While the garden exists to support the surrounding Ridglea neighborhood, ultimately, the goal is to inspire and support social service agencies, faith-based organizations, and families in starting their own community and backyard garden projects.

There are many ways to enjoy The Learning Garden. We recommend starting with a tour of the garden. Currently, tours are available on Fridays from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, excluding holidays and private tours are available by request. The garden began offering training for adult beginning gardeners in January 2015. Upcoming topics for adults include Cover Crops & Winter Gardening and Protecting Your Plants from Frost. In the coming months, additional tracks for organizations, families, and children will be offered. Tools, including a Tool Lending Library, and planning resources are available to leaders of community garden projects and the Seed Bank is open to the public. Community members are always welcome at Work Days held on Tuesdays and select Saturdays from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.
 


Tarrant Area Food Bank is very grateful for Ridglea Christian Church for providing the property and facilities, water and electricity, and leadership, as well as for Archie’s Gardenland for providing materials, plants, expertise, and labor. These relationships are key to the continued success of The Learning Garden. For more information and to volunteer, please visit www.tafb.org.

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