Library Garden Benefits Food Pantry

The library garden at the Vernon Area Public Library is producing a bounty of vegetables this summer for a local food pantry. Thanks to library patrons who have donated their time to plant and care for the garden, vegetables are harvested and delivered to the Sharing Hands Food Pantry in Indian Creek several times a week.

This summer’s harvest includes green beans, yellow beans, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, spinach, peppers and tomatoes.  

Four raised vegetables bed were built on the library property in the late spring. Filled with an organic soil mix donated by Fiore Landscaping, the raised beds allows for easy access to the plants for everyone from toddlers to seniors.

“The organic gardening approach has been incredibly effective for our garden,” said Laurel Shapiro, the youth program coordinator at the Vernon Area Public Library.  “In less than two months, small plantings or seeds have grown to 4 or 5 feet tall, leaves 12 inches in diameter, and many, many vegetables.”

The inspiration for the library garden was the summer reading club theme, “Dig into Reading.” Beginning with a planting on June 1, youth and adult library patrons have continued to show support for the garden. Each week a family is assigned to visit the garden regularly, water the plants, harvest vegetables, and make deliveries to the Sharing Hands Food Pantry.

“Our patrons have showed overwhelming support for learning about gardening and volunteering their time for a wonderful cause,” said Cynthia Fuerst, library director of the Vernon Area Public Library.