Have You Heard About The Village Garden at Hurst?

Jan 31, 2022 | by Sarah Patrick

Someone who knows a lot about The Village Garden is long-time FUMC Hurst member, Vicki Otterman. She co-founded the garden with Mike Goode back in 2011.

The Village Garden is made up of 11 beds. Two are maintained by our African immigrant brothers and sisters, while the other nine are cared for by a team of gardeners that work in the garden throughout the year. Along with the beds, there is also a compost bin that helps increase the amount of crops produced.

All produce is harvested, weighed and donated to Mission Central. The gardeners record the weight from each crop in a notebook that is kept at the garden. Yearly records dating back to 2011 have also been kept and in 2020, there were 761.5 pounds harvested from 11 beds.

From time-to-time, furry critters have also been known to enjoy what the garden has to offer. Vicky and the other gardeners have discovered that cayenne pepper is a great deterrent. When sprinkled around the vegetables, it helps keep squirrels and other unwelcome visitors away.

Join us next year as we celebrate the first decade of the Village Garden. More information will be posted as we get closer to the celebration. 

To meet Vicki and learn more about the Village Garden check out the interview below.

The Village Garden Team: Co-Founders: Vicki Otterman & Mike Goode (Master Gardener); Treasurer: Linda Schraub

Fellow Gardeners: Jay Thompson, Valerie Schwartz, Janice Rockhold, Margaret Coleman, Peg Meyers, Sharon Goldstein, Tammy Kenyon, Betty Russell (Master Composter), Kevin Campbell and Henry Schraub