Sunday, January 24, 2010, a small group of volunteers took out the first sod from the perimeter of the two large rectangles that will be divided up into the twenty beds of the newly-christened Chatham Community Garden.
Deb, Mike and Tom Bucuk of Green Path Landcare, a Chatham Township company, came with their sod-cutter. Other volunteers from the Borough and Township came with their rakes, hoes and forks to move the cut sod. Wet, semi-frozen slabs of sod are heavy! This project is a great example cross-community cooperation.
We decided to do this at the last minute. The next step, you see, is for Borough Public Works to bring in 10 trunk loads of leaf compost to dump on top of the beds. The outline of the garden, now clear with the sod removed, will make it easier for the drivers to see where to dump. Now we are waiting for a hard freeze. The ground has to be quite solid for the trucks to safely negotiate the site.
The garden is located in Chatham, New Jersey on the corner of Division Avenue and Main Street, under the high tension wires and behind the commuter lot. Both PSE&G and Williams-Transco have been incredibly helpful in getting the proper approvals for this site.
Local food, here we come.
