Victory Garden Produces Bounty for East Haddam Food Bank

Nancy Pincus has learned a great deal about growing organic vegetables for the East Haddam Food Bank’s Victory Garden at the old Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School on Route 151 in Moodus.

For example, slugs are attracted to overripe squash.  So, to lure them outside the garden, leave insect-damaged fruit around the perimeter.  

It’s also not wise to pour rain-barrel water on vegetables, as it may contain E. Coli bacteria from birds “leaving their calling cards up on the roof,” Ms. Pincus said.

Dubbed the Victory Garden by Ken Simon, chairman of the East Haddam Green Committee, the term refers to the World War II era when food was rationed in the United States and the U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged every American citizen to grow crops to feed their families and the army, said Ms. Pincus, an East Haddam resident and East Haddam Green Committee member.

“It refers to a grass-roots type of effort on a massive scale. Millions of pounds of crops were grown in backyards to feed a nation at war. This idea goes to the point that this is America, and no one should go hungry.”

She first thought of growing produce for the food bank after reading about the Plant a Row for the Hungry program on the Garden Writers Association’s web site by the same name.

Because the garden sits on town-owned property, Ms. Pincus has gone before the Board of Selectmen in a public meeting each spring since 2009 to request permission to create the garden.

Every year, the Long Island, N.Y., native said she tries to grow something different, while also experimenting with fertilizers and soil preparations. This year’s crop will include beets, muskmelons, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, and whatever is left by the garden fence.  And even though she can’t get them to grow well, she has also planted carrots again.

Additionally, Tomatilloes (also called ground cherries) from Mexico have been planted. She described them as similar to a tomato, but not as sweet, with a paper-like cover over them. “They are green when ripe, and are used in salsa (raw), or fried.”

A Hartford bookkeeper by day, Ms. Pincus sounds more like the volunteer gardener she is as she talks knowledgeably about the many facets of gardening.

“She’s pretty good and she’s a quick learner,” said her husband, Ted Stumm, who grows flowers at their East Haddam home.

Even though buying organic vegetables is expensive, because it is labor intensive, Ms. Pincus explained it is cheap to grow. “My fertilizer is free. Organic seeds are plentiful. The produce is safe to eat and vine ripened to maximize nutrition.  It is not sprayed with chemicals to kill bugs or harvested three weeks early and artificially ripened via a chemical process.  The average head of lettuce travels 1,500 miles. Talk about a carbon footprint.”

By planning months ahead, she passionately points out that a simple compost of leaves and grass clippings was turned into “black gold” with the help of earthworms – for free.  “This was worked into the ground, allowing plants to thrive in a place where the soil pH was 5.0.”

Ms. Pincus is grateful for everyone who volunteers. Daisy Girl Scout Troop 62268 from East Haddam and two area 4-H groups – the Bunnies and the Bantams – helped plant the vegetables. Others see her and ask what she is doing while driving by. Some stop, pull their cars over, and help weed and remove insects for a while.  As the wooden sign by the garden plainly states, “NO GREEN THUMB REQUIRED.”

Mr. Stumm’s volunteer work includes tilling the soil with manure in the spring, installing a larger deer fence annually, building trellises, as well as weeding, cultivating, and carrying produce to the food bank.  This year, he has a new responsibility – lugging well water from their home, because the water was recently turned off at the school.  He is not sure why or for how long, but thinks “it’s probably part of taking down” the old part of the school.

Sponsors and supporters of the Victory Garden include the Town of East Haddam, Board of Selectmen, the East Haddam Green Committee, Ballek’s Garden Center, Dr. Earth, CowPots, and the East Haddam Girl Scouts.

Additionally, a $250 grant from the Rockfall Foundation enabled Ms. Pincus to purchase a deer fence, stakes, and cucumber trellis.

 “The people of East Haddam are very generous.  They donated their time and expertise, seeds and seedlings, fencing materials, hoses and stakes,” Ms. Pincus said. Between 2009 and 2010, a total of 218 pounds of fresh organic produce has been supplied to the food bank from the Victory Garden.

Even though the garden has grown from 17-feet-by-28-feet two years ago to 40-feet-by-26-feet this year, Ms. Pincus said “it still does not keep up with the increasing demand on the East Haddam Food Bank,” which is located at the Town Grange Hall on Town Road in East Haddam.

Reflecting on people’s increasing need for free food, Mr. Stumm said, “It’s probably a good thing that we’re learning ... and improve on things as we go along.”

Besides producing vegetables for the food bank during these challenging economic times, Ms. Pincus pointed out that the Victory Garden offers numerous benefits to the community. 

“It can be a central place for learning about organic gardening.”

It also provides a location for “town folk” to meet and relate to each other. This in turn, increases the resiliency of the community for coping with change.  Additionally, a daily presence at the old middle school can help restore vitality to the area by keeping it safe and inviting. 

By providing produce for the food bank, it also saves the town money.

For both Ms. Pincus and Mr. Stumm, however, growing food for the East Haddam Food Bank with other volunteers is gratifying, because they’re helping others less fortunate.

“It makes you feel good, because I’ve never done it before,” Mr. Stumm said laughing.

“I like to be active.  Activity is good.” 

For more information about how you can get involved – either as a volunteer or sponsor – call Nancy Pincus at 860-873-9171, or email easthaddamgreencommittee@gmail.com.