SVDP/Monastery Community Gardens
A brief history of the gardens:
Founded on April 15, 2008 at St. Bernardine’s Monastery, Hollidaysburg, PA.
In 2007, the Blair County Community Gardens had been located on the grounds of the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home for 32 years when it was announced that the government planned to build an armory near the garden site. Blair County Penn State Cooperative Extension Director, Tom Ford and Pat Trimble, chairperson of the Master Gardener Community Gardens project, began the search for a new garden site.
Our St. Bernardine’s Monastery location was approached for the use ground on our campus, to which we offered two 1 acre plots for use as a community garden.
Under Franciscan leadership, along with several Penn State Master Gardeners, the Care 4 Creation Initiative was launched. This initiative included the newly named Monastery Gardens, as well as an educational component emphasizing caring for all of creation and community building events.
In 2015, the Monastery Community gardens became associated with the Society of St. Vincent DePaul as a special project and continues to donate produce to SVDP soup kitchens and food banks as well as to many other charities.
Mission and Purpose:
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul / Monastery Community Gardens Mission Statement
The C4C/MCG project offers quality land for green produce production; seeks to donate produce to persons in need; offers presentations on the environment and sustainability; and develops and cultivates a spirituality inclusive of nature or creation, through teamwork and social events.
Three Purposes of SSVDP / MCG
- To provide land for the cultivation of healthy, locally grown produce in service to the larger community.
- To cultivate community grounded in a spirit of hospitality that welcomes God’s presence in all persons and in the events of sowing, reaping, sharing, learning, and celebrating.
- To cultivate environmental awareness, reverence, respect, and gentleness toward creation and all creatures.
Food Donation Project:
Food donations of vegetables given to local charities:
2012: 2,000 lbs.
2013: 3,493 lbs.
2014: 4,920 lbs.
2015: 7,910 lbs.
Below please find the link to the SVDP/Monastery Community Gardens website, which is managed by the garden volunteers:
http://monasterygardens.weebly.com/
