Murfreesboro Community Gardening has been around since 2014, but residents are still in the dark about it. We want to help spread the word on what this community garden does and how your child can benefit from it. This 501c3 non-profit organization was started by Autumn Shultz. When she moved to Murfreesboro, she wanted to offer people a place to garden, learn about gardening techniques and how to grow healthy food. So, it’s not just her garden. You and your family can come out and have a little space to grow something, too. The garden is available for spring and summer crops and allows residents to participate in volunteer hours in the garden, too. Fruits and vegetables are what’s to be expected at the garden along with other standards like tomatoes, corn and cucumbers as well as some unique things like Dragon Tongue Beans and Sugar Baby Watermelons. “Next year we want to grow sweet potatoes, beets and eggplant,” says Shultz.
While the garden is finishing up for this year (through September), now’s the time to make plans to add to it for next year. “We’ll be back at it in March with spring veggies like kale, rainbow chard, brocolini, beets and lettuces,” adds Shultz.
But, it’s really not just a garden. The Murfreesboro Community Gardening group also provides education for kids in several ways. They take a projector to class rooms and teach on several topics from seed germination to food systems. They also offer tours of the garden and help classrooms set up their own gardens and teach them how to maintain them.
Garden hours are Saturdays from 3 – 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. from March – September. It’s located at 806 East State St., Murfreesboro (behind Key Memorial United Methodist Church).
Call 615-497-5936 or visit facebook.com/mborogarden to keep up with harvesting times and what’s left for the taking!
