All summer, library staff and volunteers have rolled up their sleeves and volunteered their time tending a garden plot at the Viatorian Giving Garden, located at 1212 Euclid Avenue. Maintaining one of 25 raised beds in the community garden, the library and other participating gardeners and organizations donate half of what they grow to local charitable organizations such as the Wheeling Township Food Pantry. Since its founding in 2012, the Viatorian Giving Garden has donated more than 10,000 pounds of vegetables to help those in need and by early August had already surpassed 1,000 pounds of produce donated for 2022! The library is grateful to be a part of this meaningful community effort for the first time.
“It has been so gratifying watching the plants and vegetables grow and knowing that it is going to a such good cause in the community,” said Matt Williams, one the staff volunteers.
The library’s garden includes a combination of herbs and vegetables like kale, tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini along with pollinator flowers to attract butterflies and bees. The other half of what we grow is harvested and brought to the library’s Makerplace for our monthly Garden & Produce Swaps and used as fresh ingredients in some of the culinary classes in the Makerplace Kitchen. A special thanks for the Friends of the Library for funding our garden in 2022.
Last call! Garden & Produce Swap-Sunday, September 25
Calling all gardeners and fans of farm-to-table! Join us for our final garden swap of the season, Sunday, September 25! Bring your extra harvests to the Makerplace to share with neighbors and fellow gardeners. Library staff will be on hand to help sort and facilitate swaps. Stop by anytime between 10 a.m. and noon to drop off or to see what’s available for swapping. The Makerplace is located at 112 N. Belmont Ave.
The swap will be outside, weather-permitting; in the case of inclement weather, in the Makerplace Kitchen.