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News
Hospital Will Host
Garden Workshop and Plant Sale
April 29, 2009 -- Athol
Memorial Hospital and Seeds of
Solidarity Education Center will
offer a free “wellness gardening”
workshop to inspire community
members to grow and enjoy delicious
and nutritious vegetables. The
workshop will take place on the
Athol Memorial Hospital grounds,
next to the Medical Arts Building,
and coincides with the popular Athol
Hospital Auxiliary annual plant
sale.
The Wellness Garden blossoms out of
a partnership between Athol Memorial
Hospital and Seeds of Solidarity
Farm and Education Center, and
reflects their common goal to
promote health and a vibrant
community. In addition to
contributions from these partners,
the project is supported through a
grant from the North Quabbin Garlic
and Arts Festival as part of the
festival’s new community grant
program.
Deb Habib, Executive Director of
Seeds of Solidarity said: “We are
very excited about the Wellness
Garden project and collaboration as
it is well aligned with our mission
to promote local, fresh food, and
work within our community to “Grow
Food Everywhere.”
During the workshop led by Seeds of
Solidarity, participants will help
to plant gardens on the hospital
grounds, learning about compost,
container gardening and even “the
cardboard method” that can be used
to establish productive gardens in a
variety of settings. Participants
will learn about seed sowing and
transplanting as the garden is
planted with a variety of salad
greens and other vegetables that
will be used in the hospital
kitchen, as part of the employee
wellness program, and as a
demonstration garden that the
community can enjoy and learn from
for many years to come.
Those attending the workshop will be
eligible to enter a raffle, with the
prizes being bucket container
gardens filled with fertile soil
from Clearview Compost in Orange,
and a seedling grown by youth in
Seeds of Solidarity’s SOL Garden
program. The workshop is free, no
previous experience is necessary,
and pre-registration is not
required. Another workshop, to be
scheduled for late summer and taught
by hospital dietary and dining
services staff, will focus on
creative, nutritious cooking with
garden fresh vegetables.
Date: May 16, 2009, Rain or Shine
Time: 10 am to 12 noon
Location: in front of Athol Memorial
Hospital Medical Arts Building, 80
Mechanic St.
Cost: Free, no pre-registration
required
Contact: Athol Memorial Hospital
Dietitian Margie Sobil, RD at 978
248-1149
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