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Thanks to Eagle Scout project, Church of the Messiah doubles garden size, food pantry donations

Matt Birnbaum and the Rev. Margaret Otterburn at Messiah, Chester's garden
By: 
Nina Nicholson

The community garden at Church of the Messiah in Chester can now donate twice as much fresh produce to local food pantries, thanks to an area Boy Scout who enlarged the garden as his Eagle Scout project.

Last fall Matt Birnbaum, who is not a member of Messiah, approached its Rector, the Rev. Margaret Otterburn, about possible projects. At the time Messiah’s garden was a fenced area of 120 square feet containing five raised beds. In season, it produced one basket of fresh vegetables each week, which the congregation donated to two local food pantries. Otterburn, who wanted to do more to help the food pantries, suggested to Birnbaum that he enlarge the garden.

Birnbaum coordinated a group of fellow scouts and family members to dismantle the existing garden, remove several stubborn bushes and install additional fencing, which included a gate where none had existed before. The group then rebuilt the five original raised beds and constructed five new ones, resulting in a 250 square foot garden with ten raised beds.

This spring Messiah member Frank Homer planted and tended the enlarged garden. Since the beginning of July, the congregation has been able to pick two or sometimes three large baskets of fresh vegetables each week, which are blessed as part of the offertory on Sunday and then taken to the food pantries. Otterburn anticipates the garden will continue to produce into September.

Otterburn said she and Homer were originally inspired to start Messiah’s community garden after attending the diocesan workshop Community Gardens – Is This Where God is Calling You? sponsored by the Empowering Team of Diocesan Council in March 2011.

On August 11, Birnbaum returned to Messiah to attend a blessing of the new garden. Having completed his Eagle Scout requirements, he is now awaiting the scheduling of the awards ceremony.