October Update

Greetings!
  
It is harvest time, and for many, that conjures up images of rural fields and full silos.  For us, that means city neighbors sharing their bounty with friends and family, canning and freezing produce to last through the winter, and sharing vegetables with emergency providers in the region, like the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.  Urban gardeners understand firsthand the impact of hunger on kids, the elderly, and neighbors here. 
 
This season, Isles’ network of school and community gardens has grown to record levels – 58 sites around the city and region.  Tens of thousands of pounds of vegetables are being harvested.  Riding through the city, you can see gardens tended by all types of cultures and ethnic groups:  Central Americans, African Americans from the south, Puerto Ricans, Russians, Jamaicans, Liberians, youth, Caucasians, Pakistanis, and so many more creating a United Nations- style harvest!
 
Bees pollinate plants – yes, even city plants.  Isles now has two beehives in the city, and the bees are happily performing their free pollination services.  Bees support agriculture in important ways, and since we are bringing agriculture to the city and suburbs, bees come along with us.  This is particularly important because of the global threat to bee populations.  We recently had our first harvest of honey! 
 
Next week, we celebrate the harvest with a Haunted Harvest 5K Run/Walk.  Help us celebrate this great time of year, get a bit more fit, and enjoy raising money for an important and “growing” tradition.
 
In community, 

Marty