Growing Together
SILO’s Growing Together Community Garden is a place for people to come together to grow food for themselves and others. Each week, volunteers come to the garden to get their hands dirty, plant, weed and harvest produce. Food grown in the garden is offered to the community on the Free Produce Stand. Last year, the garden grew and gave away over 1,300 pounds of fresh produce.
Upcoming Events
WORKSHOPS
Workshops in English and Spanish bring people together while they explore topics like: gardening basics, flower arranging, composting, canning and cooking demonstrations.
STORY TIME
Environmental story time in partnership with the Oxford Memorial Library engages kids in a playful way that makes environmental education fun.
THE MINI LIBRARY
The mini library is filled with children and adult books on environmental and community topics along with fun reads.
THE SEED LIBRARY
SILO and the Oxford Library collaborated to create a Seed Library. SILO found an old card catalog and filled it with seed packets. Residents can donate their surplus seeds and pick out any seeds for free. The Seed Library is located in the Oxford Library, to the left of the main circulation desk. People can access the Seed Library any time the library is open. In addition to reducing the start-up cost of gardening, the seed library inspires new and seasoned gardeners to imagine what else they could grow.
The newest addition to the garden is the 50’ mural on the fence that showcases popular vegetables grown in the garden.
SILO continues to turn neglected land into sources of inspiration, community healing and education.
The community garden, which converted an abandoned lot into a nature oasis, has become a de facto mini park.
Last year, the community garden:
- Produced a reliable source of local, healthy food for neighbors.
- Grew and gave away 1,308 pounds of fresh organic produce from an otherwise abandoned lot
- Maintained a free produce stand and pantry where residents can donate or choose free produce and food
- Engaged 55 volunteers for an estimated total of 316 volunteer-hours
- Casually and formally educated guests on environmental topics
- Facilitated 9 educational workshops, 2 cooking demonstrations, 4 live music events and 3 environmentally themed kids story times
- Averaged 105 visits to the garden per month
- Create a vibrant neighborhood mini ecosystem
- Collaborated with 6 partnering agencies to support the mission of the community garden
- Completed three-season vegetable plantings including covering crops in the spring and fall to extend the growing season
- Maintained a free Seed Library
Want to Get Involved in the Garden?
- Volunteer
- Join us every Thursdays evening 4-7pmish from spring to fall to plant, weed and harvest in the garden
- Seasonal work days (typically Saturday morning) help us accomplish larger projects
- Donate your garden’s surplus- drop off fresh produce at the Free Produce Stand (recommended on Thursdays)
- Come to a workshop, cooking demonstration or concert
- Check out the volunteer calendar to see other events and volunteer opportunities at the garden
The Growing Together Community Garden is made better through various partnerships, including:
- Oxford Free Library– Provides space for the Seed Library, hosts environmental story time at the garden and donated used garden books for the mini library
- PA Migrant Ed– Facilitates activities for children and teens in Spanish at the garden and introduces many new friends to the garden
- Chester County Food Bank – Collaborates on educational workshops and donated seedlings
- Longwood Gardens– Facilitates gardening workshops and donates plants
- Cub Scout Troop 213– Grows and plants seeds and seedlings each spring
- Lighthouse Youth Center– Transports student volunteers to the garden once per month in the summer
The Growing Together Community Garden would not be possible without the generous support of:
