You know those mornings when you look outside and think, “Hmm, maybe peeps won’t show up today?” Well, Saturday morning started exactly like that – cloudy, a bit uncertain, the kind of weather that makes you wonder if anyone will venture out to get their hands dirty.

Boy, were we wrong! Over 20 people rolled up throughout the day, making it one of our most bustling garden parties in weeks. Sometimes the best community gatherings happen when you least expect them!

The Great Whiteboard Innovation

Remember how we used to have people scan QR codes to log their volunteer hours? Well, we’ve switched things up this season! I set up our brand-new whiteboard system using – you guessed it – repurposed materials from around the garden. Cut up a pallet, screwed it together with salvaged screws, stuck it in a cinder block at eye level, and voilà!

Now when folks arrive, they just add a tally mark to get our head count. We switched to this anonymous approach because, let’s be honest, everyone’s constantly trying to collect and mine our data these days. We just want to know how many hours and volunteers we’re getting on a seasonal basis – no names, no personal info, just simple numbers so we can track our growth. It’s visible, it’s private, and it gives everyone a quick sense of how many garden friends are hanging out. Plus, we’ve got a second whiteboard right below it where we’ll jot down the day’s main projects. No hierarchy, no assignments – just a friendly menu of “hey, if any of this sounds fun to you, dive in!”

When Garden History Walks Through the Gate

Speaking of diving in, we had the most incredible surprise visitor! Someone had reached out through our website offering to donate some spicy pepper plants their husband had grown. When they showed up, we got to talking and – get this – she was at our very first community meeting back in 2012!

She was one of the original volunteers who helped clear the vacant lot that has became our kick-ass garden. Thirteen years later, here she was, bringing us 11 beautiful hot pepper plants and sharing stories from the early days. Katie and Niko planted every single one of those peppers in one of our rental beds, and they’ll eventually make their way to the free produce stand for the whole community to enjoy.

Talk about full circle moments! Getting to give her a tour and show off all the amazing things we’ve built over the years was absolutely magical.

Welcome Back, Pat!

In my best Billy Mays voice “But wait, there’s more!” Pat, who originally got involved with us back in 2015, came by to reconnect with the garden. Turns out, she’s donated so much stuff we still use today – those rubber storage totes, the toolbox in our shed where we keep all the hand tools, various birdhouses over the years. She’d stepped away due to some personal challenges, but now she’s getting back on her feet and was blown away by all our progress. Also, before I forget -she said hi Bill 🙋‍♀️ (this counts, right??)

I helped her rent one of our remaining beds right there on the spot, and honestly, I’m just as excited to have her back as she is to be here! I love sharing all the new progress we’ve made over the last few years. Seeing everyone in awe is amazing.

New Faces, Familiar Energy

Meet Caleb! He’s the guy with the shovel (no, not that guy, the other one.) He moved to Michigan about two years ago and is eager to get into gardening. When he asked how to get involved and start volunteering, I told him to grab a shovel. Well, he took that literally – within 10-15 minutes, there he was with everyone else, working that massive dirt pile we’ve been tackling for over a month now!

What a trooper! Nico showed him the ropes, and it was beautiful watching our little misfit community welcome him in that natural, effortless way we do. No paperwork, no orientation meetings – just “here’s a shovel, here are some great people, let’s grow some food together!”

The Dirt Brigade & Tim’s Commentary

While I was setting up whiteboards, connecting with garden veterans, and welcoming newcomers, pretty much everyone else was laser-focused on weeding and our ongoing dirt pile project. They were sifting, clearing bindweed, redistributing soil to the new concrete holding bins, and filling in low spots around the garden.

Jeff stepped up with some practical improvements too – replacing the cracked plastic tub on our loaner wheelbarrow with a metal one he’d picked up the night before. Then he was right back to helping coordinate the dirt-moving crew with Nico, Caleb, Lauren, and Nick.

And through it all, Tim was keeping everyone entertained with his almost unbelievable stories and commentary. I absolutely love getting to hang out with him – his crazy takes on the world and fun stories are honestly one of my favorite parts of coming to the garden!

Harvest Highlights 🥕

Katie was busy on multiple fronts – she set up trellising for beans in the u-pick garden, planted those donated pepper plants with Nico, and spent several hours manning our free produce stand. The harvest she and Coley pulled together was gorgeous: beautiful white turnips, and vibrant red and purple radishes that looked like they belonged in a fancy restaurant!

We harvested about 5 pounds of produce today, bringing our monthly total to just over 40 pounds. Looking at our season so far, radishes have been the stars of the show, which makes perfect sense since it’s still early season. We’re excited to see how those numbers grow as more crops come online!

Almost Sold Out! 🎯

Here’s your friendly reminder: we only have 3 rental beds left! They’re $40 for the whole year and can be secured online. It’s such a cool way to have your own little plot, help support the garden, and get to know your neighbors. Plus, so many folks tell us it gives them real purpose and connection.

Going the Extra Mile (Because That’s Just Steve!)

Just when we thought the day was winding down and folks were starting to pack up their tools, Steve had other plans! This absolute legend headed home to grab his mower – because apparently one garden workday wasn’t enough for him – and came back ready to tackle our wetland area.

While the rest of us were already planning our post-garden snacks, Steve was out there carving a gorgeous walking path around the wetland so future visitors can actually enjoy a pleasant stroll through that part of our property. Talk about going above and beyond! He stayed until the very end, literally the last person to leave, putting those finishing touches on what’s going to make exploring our space so much more accessible and enjoyable.

That’s the kind of “I’ll-just-do-one-more-thing” energy that makes our garden community absolutely magical. Thanks for staying late and making our space even more awesome, Steve!

The Magic of Flat Hierarchy ✨

What I love most about days like today is seeing our flat hierarchy philosophy in action. Freddy perfectly captured it in his chat message – some people were shoveling and running dirt, while he was spreading it, some were tending the produce cart, others were picking weeds from beds.

Everyone finds their own way to contribute, everyone’s effort matters, and somehow it all comes together into something beautiful.

Join Us Next Saturday! 🌟

Garden parties happen every Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. No experience needed, no sign-up required – just show up and see what we’re up to! Whether you want to get your hands dirty, share some stories, learn something new, or just hang out in a space where good things grow, you’re welcome here.

Come be part of something awesome. We’ll be the ones with dirt under our fingernails and smiles on our faces!

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