By: Michelle Jones, Follow South Jersey Correspondent
SALEM, N.J. — The Olive Street Community Garden serves as a beacon to the community in Salem. Under the direction of Lighthouse Ministry Inc., the garden has become a gathering place for camps, classes, and volunteer opportunities.
Follow South Jersey had the opportunity to ask questions of the garden facilitators Beth Davenport and Chanda Williams, both staff of First Presbyterian Church who run Lighthouse Ministry programs here in Salem. They were kind enough to answer questions about their shared experience with the garden, and what it means to the community at large.
FSJ: When was the garden officially established and what is the garden’s full name and address?
C and B: As part of Lighthouse Ministry Inc., the Olive Street Community Garden was initiated in the spring of 2014 on 38 Olive Street. The garden currently extends from to 38-44 Olive Street.
The Ann C. Campbell Garden House, located behind the garden at 67 Union Street, opened in June of 2021 as an indoor extension of the garden. It provides restrooms, a kitchen, and classroom/gathering space for children’s camps, classes, and various activities for the community.
FSJ: What is your favorite part of the garden?
C and B: Connecting with people in the community and witnessing people experience the joy and peace of the space. Sharing produce, having a place for youth to experience the beauty of God’s creation, and being a part of something positive
FSJ: What entities came together to help support the funding of the garden?
C and B: In the first couple of years funding came through the NRTC program of Stand Up for Salem, collaboration of the City of Salem allowing SUFS to direct their funding for the garden start up on a city lot, First Presbyterian Church supporting Lighthouse Ministry, and financial gifts from Campbell Family Council and Mannington Mills.
Volunteers from many churches, support of Salem Area Ministerium, and community members came together to do the work of putting up the fence, building the raised beds and filling them. Summer youth volunteers for Lighthouse Ministry worked in the garden planting, maintaining, harvesting which continues to present day.
More recent funding came from First Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Episcopal, Salem Friends Meeting, and Grant funds from Delaware Estuary.
FSJ: What does each new season bring with the garden?
C and B: Spring -Wednesday After School Garden Club, Spring Garden work day to involve youth and adults in helping to prepare the garden for growing, lots of garden bed prep of adding compost and planting seeds and vegetable starts.
Summer: Lighthouse Summer Garden Crew- Seed and Root Crew middle school and high school youth volunteer and maintain the garden making produce available for their families and to put on the sidewalk produce stand. Summer camps for kids ages 6-12 engage with the garden space and the vegetables for nature and cooking camps.
Fall: continued produce available, Fall Wednesday After School Garden Club, Fall Neighborhood Party- our community celebration
Winter: a space for local pollinators to hibernate and overwinter, and time for us to rest from our physical labor and focus our attention indoors with various groups, lessons, and summer planning!
Spring through late fall provides food sources and habitats for birds and pollinators of many kinds, along with the opportunity to observe them in an urban neighborhood!
FSJ: What different groups come together to help with the garden?
C and B: Neighborhood youth, Summer Seed and Root crews (7-12th graders), summer college interns, and various adult volunteers from the community
Other support and volunteer help from A.T. Buzby’s Farm-seedlings, Green Acres (Sid and Chris Browning) horse manure, Davis Lawn and Landscaping Family mulch, connection to the, Delaware Estuary -grant money for patio, and some trees, Cutter’s Tree Service (Darryl Loatman) free mulch, and Mowing by Allen and Orlando (neighbors who volunteer).
FSJ:What service opportunities come out of the work here at the garden?
C and B: Service opportunities of tending to the garden, assisting with the programming for children, volunteering on work days, helping to host the annual fall neighborhood party, distributing produce and flower bouquets in the community, as well as trash clean-ups on Olive and Union Streets.
FSJ:How did the two of you become so passionate about this venture?
C and B:The garden idea was born out of looking for meaningful ways to engage youth and also provide for a basic need in the community. We both have varying backgrounds in farming/gardening, and love to work outside and with our hands. Salem is a food desert, so providing fresh produce, knowledge and skills about how to grow food, and food literacy (cooking, nutrition, food justice, etc.) for local teens feels really relevant. Gardening also provides so many spiritual and life lessons.
FSJ: What keeps you and others motivated in helping this garden grow?
C and B: The connections, the growth of food and people, the beauty, creating a place of hope!
Seeing the youth make meaningful connections to God, to nature, and to each other is what really keeps us motivated when the work is exhausting in the summer heat.
Ultimately, it is a vehicle to point others to God and His work in the world and share the love of Jesus with them.
For more information about the Olive Street Community Garden or Lighthouse Ministries, Inc, click here.
Additional reporting by Chanda Williams and Beth Davenport.
- Kathy Anne English’s “Paint America” Exhibition Displayed at Perkins Center for the Arts
- WATCH: What’s Good in South Jersey? Equip Training Ministries
- Intense Weather Patterns in NJ: Is This the New Normal?
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
