Extra individuals turning to at-home gardening throughout stay-at-home order

As everyone goes to the grocery stores, you may have noticed that your favorite fruits and vegetables are leaving quickly.

“Knowing where your food is coming from is a big deal,” said Jessica Allen, a farmer at Springfield Community Garden.

Allen said it was a great time to grow your own food.

“”[It’s] Save money when a lot of people are unemployed and have to make picky decisions about where to put their money. So if they can just grow something at home it will be a lot cheaper, ”she said.

Allen said that they are trying to get creative about how to help people get involved. The garden has tips on theirs

with plants that can grow quickly.

“Anyway, lettuce greens are super quick, spinach and kale pop up super quick, lettuce, things like that,” she said. “It’s really great to be eating your greens right now. They’re high in vitamin D, a great addition to vitamin C that will keep you healthy during these times.”

If you are creating your own yard, you can find these greens in your own yard within a few weeks.

“You can’t get a lot of these greens and things locally so easily. So if you can grow them in your own yard it will be quicker and less stressful for anyone else who goes overboard to meet their needs.” said Deborah Bryant, the project coordinator for the garden.

The garden left sacks of seeds on the sidewalk for parishioners to plant and grow their own gardens. They handed out thousands of pounds of potato and onion seeds and a few other vegetables over the past week.

“Every year we have different seed swaps, at least two a year, and try to give our starts when we can,” she said. “It was interesting that people are more interested than usual this year, but we love it. It’s great.”

Bryant said the community garden will also be doing video tutorials for the community in the next week or two.

“We have some USDA grants that have already given us money for these workshops, so we want to do them in every possible way,” she said. “So, likely over the next few Saturdays you will see some zoom in to see what we’re up to and try some things at home for the home garden.”