Community Garden Groundbreaking

A message from Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries:

Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries is committed to finding innovative ways to answering to the area’s hunger and food insecurity issues and to empower our clients to become self-sufficient and productive members of society.

In partnership with the City of Waterbury and a private landowner, we have been given the unique opportunity to reclaim vacant (and in the case of the South End lot – blighted) land to be transformed into an urban “micro-farm”.  We have begun the process of healing the land by providing clean-up and attenuation of blight and soil contaminants.

Our program is simple:  we have garden plots (raised seed beds 3x20 feet) that our micro-farmers will be assigned to farm.  We expect our clients to contribute at least two hours of very literal, “sweat equity” per week.  They are responsible for their crops.  All plant stock, tools, etc. are provided for them.  They will tend to their crops, nurture them, and use the produce to supplement their household food supply.  Excess crops may be sold by the micro-farmers at the Farmer’s Market on The Green from July to October 31st; the micro-farmers will receive 50 percent of all proceeds and GWIM will receive 50 percent of the proceeds for reinvestment into the agricultural program for next season.

In addition GWIM will raise its own food to seasonally supplement the food served daily in our Soup Kitchen.  Our fresh produce will link up to a new “healthy lifestyles” program which we will be starting this summer in order to link our clients to fresh, local produce and growers and to help them make smart decisions in regards to their diet and nutrition.
We are working under the guidance of The University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Station, Connecticut Experimental Agricultural Station, The Connecticut Department of Agriculture, The Connecticut Community Gardening Association, and a professional network of land trusts from Bridgeport and New Haven.  Under their guidance, we follow “best practices” for crop selection, garden soil encapsulation, soil testing, etc.

GWIM has always been at the forefront of hunger relief and advocating for social justice for our clients.  The problems of blight, hunger, and poverty disproportionately affect the lives of inner city neighborhoods. In our small way, our pilot program will start a trend to reverse these societal ills and bring healthy, productive green space areas into Waterbury. 

Statistics in other Connecticut communities (Bridgeport and New Haven in particular) show that community gardens  build neighborhoods, empower gardeners to be stewards of the land and their community, increase surrounding property values, and decrease local crime.

Brass City Harvest is always in need of donations of garden implements (hand shovels, spades, steel rakes, paper compost bags, gardening gloves, etc.), plant stock, and of course VOLUNTEERS.  If you wish to become involved in our project, please contact Susan Pronovost, Director of Administration at GWIM – (203) 756-7831 or via email at susan.pronovost@snet.net.

GWIM gratefully acknowledges the support of the following entities that made this project possible:

The Leever Foundation

Savings Bank of Danbury

The City of Waterbury
Honorable Michael J. Jarjura, Mayor

Waterbury Development Corporation

MAZON:  A Jewish Response to Hunger

The Schlegel Fund of
The First Congregational Church of Waterbury

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Prospect Congregational Church Senior Youth
Fellowship Group