New Partnership: Excel Employment Options

Last week I received a phone call asking about gardening and volunteer opportunities for a local non-profit organization, Excel Employment Options.  This non-profit organization provides employment, vocational education, and social activities for adults with disabilities.  When I met with a representative we quickly realized this was an opportunity for a fantastic partnership.

We now have two groups coming out weekly to the Victory Garden to learn gardening skills, and to help out their community.  One group  has adopted a row of eggplant and peppers. Each week they will help weed and maintain this row, and eventually harvest the produce and transport it into Gleaners Community Food Bank in Howell.

The second group is renting a row to grow their own produce.  They will come out each week and learn how to nurture these plants and eventually harvest them.  The harvests from this row will be used in their cooking classes ... and then eaten.  What better way to enjoy the fruits of your labor than to share with others while learning new skills.

Today we planted tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, purple pole beans, zucchini, cucumbers, and beets.  We had a nice lesson in different seeds and how to plant all these different plants.  And we enjoyed a laugh or two along the way.