Community Garden

The Community Garden Mission Statement:

The Rock Community Garden exists to transform our blighted land into a beautiful garden, to grow good and healthy food to feed our people, and to promote unity and fellowship in our church and local community through the disciplines of soil preparation, planting, watering, sowing, tending, and reaping the harvest of the garden we have all planted together.

10 If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness; your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. 11 I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. 12 You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. – Isaiah 58:10-12

Why A Garden?

Time began in a garden.  Sin was birthed and destroyed in a garden.  Our Lord was raised from the dead in a garden and we will live eternally in God’s own garden; paradise.

We can learn so much from the garden.  The Lord uses it metaphorically to describe and teach us about the human heart as soil, the seed as the Word of God, and the weeds, thorns and thistles as evil intruders who will continually attempt to destroy the seed from ever producing in our own lives.

The garden is etched in our hearts, imprinted on our very souls, and the passion and discipline gardening requires builds strong life lessons of sowing and reaping.  A garden requires the constant disciplines of hard work and patience as the soil must first be prepared, the seed then carefully planted, then the constant work of watering and weeding through the growing season and finally the excitement and joy the garden brings as we harvest the fruit of our labors. 

We invite you to come and garden with us.  I believe that together with passion, commitment, hard-work, and faithful tending we will reap an amazing harvest of great produce.  Even more importantly, we will reap life lessons and friendships that will last for eternity.

See you in the Garden,
Pastor Deborah and Team

About the Garden

Who Can Be Involved?

• Local Neighbors and Volunteers from The Rock Church

Who Can Receive Food From The Garden?

Those who work the garden:

• Local Neighbors
• Rock Volunteers

Adopt-A-Garden Bed

The garden has been sub-divided into garden beds where individuals, groups, or a family can grow different type vegetables in their garden bed.

• 7’ x 17’ garden beds – Section F
• 7’ x 14’ garden beds – Section D
• 8’ x 13’ garden beds – Section E

• 6’ x 13’ garden beds – Section C
• 9’ x 9’ garden beds – Section A & B

What Do You Get - The Benefits?

• Reduce Family Food Budgets
• Produce Nutritious Food
• Improved quality of life
• Preserve Green Space
• Beautifies Neighborhoods
• Opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
• Free use of water to care for your garden
• Restroom are available in the main sanctuary inner foyer (7:00 a.m. to dust dark) seven days a week excluding scheduled—all church events and church office Holiday closures
• A catalyst for neighborhood and community development
• Social interaction between the Members of The Rock and our Local Neighbors

What Do You Give - Responsibility?

• Safety First
• Everyone that works in your garden must sign a Release of Liability Wavier.
• All children under the age of 16 must be under the supervision of a parent or responsible guardian 18 or older at all times.
• Participate in Clean Up Day 4 Times Per Year
• Observe the garden open and close times (7:00 a.m. to dust dark) seven days a week excluding scheduled—all church events and church office Holiday closures
• Keep your garden area neat and clean
• If you borrow tools from the Tool Shed be sure to clean and return them
• Follow The Community Garden Bylaws
• Be kind to one another
• Have fun!!!

What Tools Do You Need To Get Started?

Although some garden tools are available in the garden Tool Shed.  Here is a suggested list of tools to begin your gardening adventure.

• Small Hand Shovel/Trowel, Hoe, 3-Prong Cultivator
• Water hose 25’-50’
• Spray Nozzle
• Gloves
• Small Stool or Keen Pads

• Long Handle Shovel
• Long Handle Hoe
• Long Handle Garden Rake
• Sun Block
• Sun Hat

Have fun fellowshipping, sowing, growing, and reaping!

Reserve a garden bed

• Review and choose an available garden bed from the Community Garden garden bed map.
• Read the Garden Bylaws and familiarize yourself with the guidelines for using the garden.
• Download and complete the release of liability form.

Reserve your garden bed now!

We are glad you have made a decision to become a community garden member.  The garden bed you have selected has been rototilled and amendments have been added to the soil. It is our hope that your experience will be filled with bountiful rewards from the fruit of your labor and an abundance of new friends!