After being fingerprinted, twice, and posing for a mug shot, I really started wondering what, exactly, I had gotten myself into. A month went by. I wondered why I hadn’t heard anything. My imagination went on overdrive. I kept looking at my finger tips.
Have you looked at the tips of your fingers? The underside, fleshy part? There should be oval ridges going round and round and round in a pattern unique to only you. Ruffles Potato Chips have more ridges than my fingertips, which are as round and smooth as a baby’s bottom.
The beautification committee was finally notified. We were officially sworn in, which meant we had to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) test, which is another story for another time. I stood. I raised my right hand. I swore to do my duty, then shook several sets of prints, I mean hands, and met two very fine women, from different walks of life, who would soon become my partners in dirt. The three of us had a common vision and ended up on a subcommittee together. Each brought her own set of skill to the committee we agreed to work on. Though none of us knew each other beforehand, we managed to plow ahead, set up a plan, research, write, and draw up ideas.
Last summer, we took a field trip to other communities so see what they had done. We talked to others, took pictures, formulated talking points, then shared them with the whole committee, city employees and elected officials, and finally started talking to members of our community. The city gave us a go-ahead IF we could get enough participants to fill fifteen garden plots.
We did.
On May 4, we held opening day of our community garden! The plots were dug and tilled and plotted by city workers. Paths were laid between plots. A sign with our rules and regulations was posted, and Home Depot donated a pick-up truck filled with bagged soil.
It was a happy day for the three of us. There was a time we did not think it would happen, even though we all shared a common vision for a community garden. The seeds were sown and in the process a dozen or so folks in our town were granted a small plot of land to grow vegetables for a nominal fee. Most of these community farmers live in condos, apartments, and trailers, with little or no space to plant their own vegetables – and, of course Tom and I, who have two acres and too many deer! We took a plot, as well, and look forward to tomatoes and peppers and beans!
When you put your fingers into good, rich earth, no matter what your fingerprints look like, good things begin to grow and flourish and good will is born. I felt good, through and through, as I watched several gardeners start to plant, work the soil, measure and look toward the sun. They were smiling and talking, enthusiastic and hopeful.
My favorite gardeners were a duo; a young woman of about thirty years and her grandmother. They were sharing a plot and came ready to work. The grandmother had sewn matching aprons with three deep pockets in each for their gardening chores. It made my heart leap for pure joy of it – for a good thing was beginning to happen. A garden was starting to grow.
Another gardener was planting a Mexican garden with corn and hot chili peppers and cilantro. Rows of lettuce have suddenly sprung up, and little sprouts have poked through the soil. There are pinwheels in some of the patches – to scare the birds and rabbit-proof fences, one with a door.
It was really worth all the nonsense of fingerprints, for this little community garden of ours is already nurturing souls – and will soon feed them as well with the riches of the soil.
Sometimes, prints lead to paths and paths lead to gardens. Don’t you agree?
What a lovely project. I’m glad you are enjoying it.
While I fully believe that teachers, bus drivers, scout leaders, etc. should be fingerprinted and back ground checked. (Politicians should also, but then, that is a whole other soapbox.) I don’t understand why beautification committee people need to. Is someone afraid that you are going to plant evil vegetables that are going to take over Chicago?
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It was rewarding to see this come to fruition, Janet. I’m glad I stuck with it.
I agree. It bothered me a bit that we needed to be printed,when the elected officials didn’t. I think that because they officially swore us in, which seemed silly, then they needed to comply with either county or state laws. Friends in neighboring county were saying that their volunteers all had to take the FOIA test to participate if activity was sanctioned in any way by a governing body. That took almost an hour on the computer to do. A volunteer should never have to deal with FOIA. What concerns me is that people may not volunteer if they have to do all these things. I also think that our police department had better things to attend to than my blank prints.
As to the evil vegetables – you know that Chicago means wild onion don’t you? Really.
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All kidding about your bare fingertips aside, I am so admiring of this project, Penny. Your involvement and work is such a grand effort. The story of the young woman and her grandmother is so lovely and I am also so interested in what you and Tom will grow! I hadn’t considered that with all your wonderful acreage you’d still have trouble cultivating an edible garden because of the deer. I really hope you’ll be sharing photos and stories throughout the growing season, Penny. We will all be so interested!
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Thank you, Debra. It was a group effort. One of the women did so much research. She was the driving force. I was more support and the mouthpiece. We all worked well together and were so happy to see it come to this. The deer devour everything. Tom sprays our plants with some vile stuff that deters them. Sometimes he will get most of the bush or plant, but a spot will be unsprayed – and they eat that! It is a battle, so, we don’t put a garden in here except for herbs on the deck. I’m looking forward to some tomatoes and peppers and who knows what else will be planted. I will share photos from time-to-time. It really is a feel good project.
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For a woman with the great disability of smooth fingertips, you have achieved a wonderful thing This is such an inspiring story, Penny. It is good for the earth and good for the community and I’m sure is bringing much pleasure to many people. Just a thought, but do green fingers and unprintable fingertips go together?
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I’m thinking that green fingers and unprintable fingertips must somehow be connected, Juliet. Some of us have evolved into the unprintable state of green thumbs. Most of those participating can’t garden where they live and were so excited to be able to do this. Such things really do pull people together. It will be fun to see how everything grows this year.
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This is awesome, Penny. I am sending it to MTM, to file away in his urban planning folder. He may be calling on you should he want to do something like this in a future city spot. (And, he won’t ask for your fingerprints.)
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Urban gardening is a growing endeavor, Andra, and MTM is just the one to foster this idea. I would be happy to share what I know with him. Many of the park districts in this area have community gardens, but, large cities, like Chicago, do too. They are especially relevant in areas where folks don’t have places to buy fresh produce or do not have the space to garden. There are even rooftop gardens in Chicago. Can you tell this subject excites me?
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A wonderful story, Penny, despite the dodgy start! You are certainly giving something back and meeting some great folk along the way. Hope you can show us the gardens as they start to grow. Axxx
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Thank you, Annie. Hard to believe one would have to go through the dodgy start to just plant veggies, isn’t it? I will share pictures as the growing season progresses. The plots are already starting to burst forth with green tips.
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Congrats to you! It was worth every minute of the hassle to see what promises to be a truly good thing for so many people. I do admire you, Tom and each gardeners for taking part in this project. Can’t wait to see the fruits of your labors so to speak!!!
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I think it is a good thing for our community, Marilyn. Today, we went to the plot to water. As we pulled up, two youngsters were crossing over with watering cans to do the same. It was good to same them helping each other get water and take care of the plants. I’ll post pictures soon.
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Penny, you have been doing this all this time and it has never found its way to the blog? I find it incredibly exciting. There is nothing, but nothing so renewing and spirit building as community gardening. It is the stuff of life. Huge admiration to you for giving of your time and energy so generously for this, which will repay every effort one hundredfold.
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I guess I was just making sure it would happen, Kate – and then there was the fingerprinting. Ha! It was such a good feeling when the garden was finally opened and we saw all the fine folks who wanted to participate. Renewing and spirit building – you said it!
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What a great idea and it’s wonderful to see it coming to fruition, Penny. In the UK we call these allotments and they are usually rather less beautifully constructed than your community gardens, but the purpose is the same – to give people without gardens of their own the chance to grow things. But it still shouldn’t have taken so many months and so much bureaucracy before you could even start planning it.
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Allotments. That says it well, Perpetua. Honestly, the bureaucracy can drive one batty, but, the end results was rewarding. It means a great deal to folks who can’t garden for any number of reasons and to see their excitement when they finally have a chance. I’ll post pictures as the season “grows”.
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I’m glad you feel it was worth it, but I still don’t think I could have done it. I get it if someone works with children, but really. Gardening?
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I know, Nan. I checked with other towns in the area and they are dealing with the same thing for volunteer work that should not require background checks. I almost quit – but, am stubborn and kept on. The reward was so many happy urban farmers.
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And I am stubborn in just the other way. :<)
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What a wonderful, inspiring story.
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Thank you, Cath.
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Wow, I love this- every bit of the story and the outcome (yet to be grown). Good for you, Aunt Penny!
And, Happy Anniversary!
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Hi, Heather, and thanks. It was a bit of bother with all that fingerprinting/mugging/paperwork STUFF, but, the end result was really quite rewarding – and hoping even bigger rewards as summer rolls on. Thank you – and Happy Anniversary to you two as well. As I told the other May couple, try to catch up to us!
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Dear Penny, this is a lovely post; it warmed my heart. Do you read DJan’s blog, which is entitled DJan-ity? At the end of the following posting, she writes about the community garden that she and the other condo dwellings use. She started gardening in it last year, so there have been many postings: http://djanstewart.blogspot.com/2013/05/clouds-rain-and-nice-day-anyhow.html
If you don’t read her two blogs, you might want to give a look and find someone new to follow!!!
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Dear Penny, her two blogs are “Eye on the Edge” http://eyeontheedge.blogspot.com/
and DJan-ity.
Peace.
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Thank you dear. That is nice of you to say.
I don’t read DJan’s blog, but, on your recommendation and two places to visit of hers, which you have shared, I most certainly will take a look, being especially interested in what she has to say about community gardening.
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It’s a wonderful project. Why on earth DID they need to go through all that rigamarole though? Did they ever give you a reason? It’s a wonder they ever get any volunteers at all, you have to be very patient to donate your time there!
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It certainly makes one wonder at common sense, doesn’t it? My concern is that this will turn away a lot of needed volunteers. I am said “quit” a few times, Sallie. The end result was worth it, though.
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[…] in our garden. Tomatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, zucchini and peppers have needed tending in our plot in the Community Garden. I’m trying to finish up some projects and the upcoming Elmhurst Garden Walk and Faire has us […]
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[…] the next dropping to 45°, strong winds, and torrential downpours followed by cloudy days, the Community Garden is thriving. It is gratifying to see the plots, including our own, slowly emerge and it has been fun […]
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After reading part 1 of your fingerprinting tale I was thinking you probably should have quit while you were ahead. But by the end of part 2 I can see that it was worth it all! Your community involvement is awe inspiring! I’m not really a joiner, but I can see how rich it has made your life.
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In the end, especially as I look at the array of tomatoes we are getting right now and the zucchini bread I’ve been eating and have spoken with the other gardeners who are already planning next year’s crops, I know it was worth it. I did have moments of throwing up my hands, Janet. Now that time has passed, and we know that Big Brother is watching our every move anyways, I think those fingerprints don’t mean all that much after all.
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