GARDENING PROJECT

Our Gardening Project continues as we seek out congregations that are interested in starting or upgrading a garden on their property. Master Gardener, Jeff Wild, retired pastor at Madison Christian Community on Madison’s West Side, is volunteering his time to foster the development of congregational gardens with Wisconsin faith communities. The goal of this project is to encourage faith communities to grow healthy produce for congregational members and for the wider community through local food pantries. The Food, Faith and Farming Network is offering grants of $100 for a limited time to faith communities starting or upgrading gardens.

Establishing congregational gardens further benefits faith communities as they train and educate congregants in sustainable gardening techniques and deepen their relationships with each other. The hope is that through gardening projects congregants will nurture the relationship between the food they eat and their faith’s calling to care for God’s creation. We also encourage congregations to incorporate the principles learned through gardening into their mission statements.

Jeff Wild has a wealth of experience in developing gardens. He founded the Madison Christian Community Food Pantry Garden early on in his tenure as pastor at Advent Lutheran. The garden continues to grow 5,000 pounds of produce annually to donate to local food pantries.