ITTA BENA — When the community in Itta Bena showed a need for fresh produce after its only grocery store closed in January 2009, the members of Samuel Chapel United Methodist Church found an opportunity to assist through a church garden.
“We have a community-wide health initiative, and we were looking for healthy ideas for the community,” said Gladys Fant, a member of Samuel Chapel. “We thought a church garden would be a good way to help the citizens of the community.”
With a grant from Delta Health Alliance, which supplied funding for seeds, equipment and fertilizer, and land provided by one of the church members, a garden was soon cultivated and quickly began flourishing, providing what lead gardener John Upton called an “abundance” of fruits and vegetables.
“One of the conditions of the grant was that we could not sell any of the produce that we grow, which was fine with us because we did not have a grocery store,” said Fant. “The garden has been a big help, without having a store, to get fresh vegetables.”
The town of 2,200 residents was devastated by the loss of its Big Star store, but the garden has had a positive impact.
“We’re working together, and it’s not about denomination or where someone is from,” said the Rev. Maxine Bolden, pastor of Samuel Chapel. “There is need in our community, and we’re coming together to work to meet that need of the community.”
Robert Barner, a member of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and master gardener, began helping with the garden. Barner brought a wealth of knowledge and a passion for gardening, and the project soon became a collaborative effort from both Samuel Chapel and New Bethel churches.
“The initial grant was for a church garden, but we knew we would have to share with the community,” said Fant.
The bounty of crops from the garden are first distributed to senior members of the churches. Then, other church members are given produce. The remaining fruits and vegetables are distributed in the community — again, to seniors first.
Last year, the lead gardeners, Barner, Upton and Henry Fant, attended workshops and competed in Delta Health Alliance’s Growing Together Church, Community, School and Youth Garden Network and Contest for the Mississippi Delta. The garden won third place and received money for the purchase of needed items.
The church again is entered in the 2013 contest, and the lead gardners are currently attending the monthly workshops. The winners will be announce in the fall.
“Delta Health Alliance came up with the workshops to help the participants to better manage the gardens and to get more people involved,” Fant said.
Different towns in the Delta host the workshops. Those who attend learn how to maintain the gardens and utilize the crops. Upton said he was introduced to cucumber jelly and okra chips at a recent workshop in Coffeville.
“We learn innovative ideas to use the different things in the garden and ways to protect the plants without using pesticides from the store,” Upton said.
The garden, located on Miller Road, is two large plots, each filled with lush green foliage.
Right now, on each side of the plots, okra plants grow tall. Upton says the okra plants do not grow as well side by side in the rows. Separated, however, the stalks grow up to 3 feet tall.
This is one of the many tricks of the trade the gardeners have learned while maintaining the garden and attending the Delta Health Alliance workshops.
They grow seasonal crops. Right now it contains okra, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, peas and beans. Upton said that soon the gardeners will begin preparing the plots for fall crops such as kale, turnips and collards.
The garden has also provided a way for the youth of Itta Bena to connect with longtime citizens.
Younger people who receive the produce are calling their parents and grandparents for ways to cook, store and can the produce.
Samuel Chapel now holds cooking and canning classes, and Fant says the whole family gets involved in them.
“One of the things that I appreciate about it the most is the energy and joy that our gardeners bring when they tell us what is going on in the garden,” said Bolden.
The excitement of gardening has spread throughout Itta Bena.
Students from Leflore County Elementary School and seniors citizens from Sunflower apartments have all jumped on board.
The lead gardeners have visited the school and taught the students how to make a planter and grow vegetables. Some of the students even came out to the garden and helped harvest greens.
“They were excited,” Fant said. “Many were not familiar with how things grow.”
“They had a million questions,” Upton said. “Some of the students didn’t know that potatoes were underground. It’s amazing. The things we take for granted, the kids don’t actually know.”
Some of the senior women at the Sunflower apartments decided to start their own garden last year.
“It was so beautiful,” Fant said. “This year, they have some of the senior men from the apartments helping out with the garden.”
The church garden in Itta Bena is enriching the community in more ways than just nutrition.
“It’s the concept of community,” said Bolden. “And the garden is bringing it back in a really sweet way.”
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
