Seeds of Change

Despite the snow, we have been very productive at the CRG.

As of Friday morning, the seeds have been ordered!

Judging from our first ever seed order, the diversity of the growers is only the beginning of the diversity of this garden. There will be eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, peas, zucchini, bok choy,  sunflowers, pumpkins, cabbage, onions, okra, gourds, watermelon, herbs, and hopefully chin buang (a Burmese favorite)!

From the very beginning, this project was intended to be shaped by the refugees, their needs, and their desires. It has been so exciting to see this project become less and less “ours” and more and more “theirs.” Whether it is S Barry collecting all the wish lists for the garden, or men joining the growing group, or even the vegetables being grown, the CRG will be shaped into exactly what the refugees both need and want for their community.

Thanks for reading our blog and keeping up with the CRG!

Special thanks to Wilson’s Gift Shop and Garden Center for being so helpful and accommodating with the seed orders. This important step could have never been possible without you!

“No Winter Lasts Forever, No Spring Skips Its Turn”

The new garden has been plowed! This is a very exciting step towards the goals of the CRG. It is the first work done to the land, the first tangible accomplishment, the first step towards the goals of the CRG!

Unfortunately, thanks to last week’s snow storm, it may be a little difficult for the work to be seen… as you can see (or not see) in the pictures. But this snow will provide the winter moisture critical to the the health of the Spring’s crops and provide protection for the soil from the bitter Missouri cold.

And in just a few months, winter will pass. Spring will be here before we know it.

I hope you can all feel the excitement that the new plowed garden supplies. This snow covered dirt will soon be used by Americans and refugees growing side by side, sharing tips and techniques. This dirt will be used to open the eyes of Americans to cultures from around the world. This dirt will be used to give refugee families a fresh start. And that is awesome!

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

The Columbia Refugee Garden received an early holiday gift this year…

The Crossing Church has graciously donated $1,729.00…

…which means…

…the garden project is completely funded for next year’s growing season!!!!!

So what will we do with all that money??

Not that… at all.

We will be plowing the land in the next few weeks, purchasing the seed in January, building a fence, tilling compost into the soil, and beginning the first of many many many growing seasons.

So thanks to The Crossing for making this possible. I will update the “Budget” tab and let you know what some other ways to get involved are.

The Budget… finally!

Hey all

It has been a long time since there’s been a post on here. I am finding that Fall and Winter really are slow times for the CRG. It’s been a lesson in patience.

What we have been working on during the past month is finalizing our budget for the coming growing season. There is a new tab labeled “The Budget” that will tell you what are financial needs are, how much has money has been donated, and what that money is going to. It will also explain why our budget is what it is.

Check it out.

Expanding Hope

The majority of our future growers were once farmers and have been waiting for an opportunity to grow again in the U.S.

S Barry is one of these refugees.

She has been growing her own little garden made of empty milk cartons on the back  porch of her apartment. Here she is with her Chin Baung plants. She acquired these seeds from her refugee friends that live in Des Moines. It really is amazing how resourceful refugees can be! Unfortunately, these Chin Baung plants will not grow any larger because of their small containers. The plants, when they reach their full potential, should be as tall and wide as S Barry.

Next year, when she has her own garden space the Chin Baung should reach their full potential, giving the Burmese refugees a little taste of home.

These Chin Baung plants are a lot like our refugees.  Unable to reach their full potential because the resources simply aren’t available and the obstacles too large. Our hope is that the plants will flourish and grow in this garden and that the Burmese women will do the same.

And that is what the garden is all about. Giving these women the tools to reach their full potential.

If you think you would like to donate to the cause, contact me at pstroessner@diojeffcity.org.  I will be making a budget page/tab here in the next few weeks so you can better see what the needs are and where exactly your money will be going.

Thanks for reading!

First Dollar Bills!

Today we received our first donation towards the Columbia Refugee Garden. It came from my good friend and past-coworker, Jenny

The money will go to purchasing our first load of compost for the new garden.

Also, an update on the process: We will begin to till the soil after the first plant killing frost. We will be patiently awaiting the day when my car windows need to be scraped!

Next post to come this week: a small profile of one of our future growers who has been waiting for well over a year to have an opportunity to farm again!

The Beginning…

Welcome to the Columbia Refugee Garden blog!

“What is the Columbia Refugee Garden?” you ask. It is a community garden of sorts that is designed to help Burmese refugee women climb out of poverty by doing something that is already familiar to them.

 Imagine fleeing your home and your livelihood  for your and your family’s safety knowing you may never return. Then flying to a town you’ve never heard of in a state you’ve never heard of in a country you only know about from newspaper clippings. Now you are here in that town. Everything you’ve known is behind you and very little that you know is in front of you. This is the situation of many of our refugees, especially the women. Many of these women have too many obstacles to employment to overcome. Also,  they are responsible for childcare while their husbands are working. Thus, they pass most of their days in Columbia without ever leaving their apartment complex.

The Columbia Refugee Garden is created to change this

This garden will bring a little bit of what they knew (farming) to them. Right here in our city. It will help the Burmese women to leave the confines of their apartment and engage in our community all while keeping their own traditions and cultures alive. And not only will those be alive but they will be shared with all of us though affordable and healthy vegetable and fruit produce.

While our economy is down, these women will find a way to use their skills and lift their family out of poverty.

Soon we will begin preparing the soil, and the exciting journey will begin! Be sure to check out the other pages on the blog to get a better idea of who we are, what the garden is, and how you can help.

A special thanks to Don, Steve, and Debbie and Broadway Christian Church for the land and support, Bill from MU Extension for your resources, knowledge and contacts, Mike the Intern for your skills, Mary Kate for the first pictures and everyone else who has taken an interest and made the refugees’ vision their vision.