22 | APRIL 23 • 2020
L
ocal food pantries are
struggling to provide
the necessary produce
and food for those who need
it most during the coronavirus
outbreak. A new initiative from
a local Jewish sustainability lab
aims to change that.
Hazon Detroit, a nonprofit
that works with Jewish and
non-Jewish organizations to
help educate the community
about creating healthier and
more sustainable ways of life,
started their Relief Garden
Initiative in late March after
they noticed their partner
organizations needed help.
This initiative enables any-
one in the community to sign
up to receive 2-5 gallon-sized
buckets worth of compost and
different seed packets so they
can begin planting their own
gardens and growing their
own produce. Growers have
the option of either keeping
the produce for themselves
or donating it to others in the
community.
Wren Hack, director of
Hazon Detroit, and her team
personally deliver the compost
buckets and three seed pack-
ets to anyone who signs up.
Packets consist of cool-weather
vegetables such as lettuce, spin-
ach, beans and peas. The com-
post comes from its partner
organizations in Detroit and its
other program, Hazon’
s Seal of
Sustainability.
“We are asking people who
already garden to enlarge their
garden and grow more, and for
those who have never gardened
to start,
” Hack said. “Once they
begin harvesting the produce,
they can call us and we will
come pick it up and deliver it
to food pantries, or they can
keep it for themselves if they
are in need of the food.
”
As of April 17, Hack had
made 65 deliveries across
Metro Detroit with 15 more
in the queue. Hazon has also
begun planting their own
produce using Summer in the
City’
s hoop house in Detroit
(Summer in the City co-found-
er Ben Falik is a Jewish News
contributor).
A hoop house is a series of
large hoops — made of plastic,
metal or wood — covered by
a heavy layer of greenhouse
plastic that can be installed
quickly over small to medium
gardening plots. It protects
your plants from wind, snow,
rain and sun.
Farber Farms at Tamarack
Camps has also allowed Hazon
to pick up harvested greens
and deliver them to food pan-
tries around Detroit.
The food pantries that
receive the harvested produce
include Yad Ezra, Hospitality
House in Commerce, Oakland
Avenue Urban Farm in Detroit
and City Covenant Church in
Detroit.
“This initiative allows
everyone stuck at home to get
outside safely, to work in the
ground and to actually produce
something that can support
them and support others,
”
Hack said. “Not only are we
helping people in this time of
need, we have also created a
community where master gar-
deners want to help and reach
out to those who have never
gardened before.
”
You can sign up to receive compost
and seeds at https://tinyurl.com/
y9munu47. You can also donate at
https://donate.hazon.org.
Creative Gardening
for a Cause During
COVID-19
The Relief Garden Initiative allows
community members to get outside
and help those in need.
CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
Jews in the D
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HAZON
Alex and
harvested greens
at Farber Farms
at Tamarack
Camps.
Hannah from Hazon at Summer
in the City’
s hoop house.