WARD 3 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO SPONSOR SECOND ANNUAL WARD 3 VEGETABLE GARDEN TOUR
Local residents will have an opportunity to celebrate the agricultural and food-growing heritage of Northampton and talk with farmers and gardeners about growing local food as the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association sponsors its second annual Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour on Saturday, August 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The self-guided tour will showcase eight diverse gardens and small farms in Ward 3. Some gardens are located in the meadows and floodplain and others represent urban gardening where small spaces can be transformed into substantial food-growing operations. The tour was also designed to be done either by car or bicycle.
he selection of gardens in this year’s tour ranges from a very compact urban garden tucked next to a downtown store to garden spaces utilized by tenants of a large apartment building to grow Asian and Hispanic vegetables including rice. Many of the gardens employ sustainable and organic techniques that are rapidly growing in popularity.
“People from all over Western Massachusetts came to our first Veggie Garden Tour last year and had a great time,” said Jerry Budgar, president of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. ‘Many think of Ward 3 as an urban ward in the city’s core, but we love the fact we have this magnificent agricultural land and floodplain soil located so close to the city center. The juxtaposition makes Ward 3 a very unique and wonderful place to live. Our area of the city is undergoing a revival and expansion of agriculture and food production, and we want to showcase some of these efforts with this event.”
Those participating on the tour will be able to talk with gardeners and farmers about the food varieties they grow, get tips on methods to encourage healthy plant growth, and discuss ways to fend off such negatives as animal pests, insects, and airborne viruses and bacteria.
A new feature this year will be a number of local agricultural and food-growing organizations sponsoring tables at the refreshment area to talk with tour participants about their organizations and local agriculture and food-growing. Among the organizations that will be participating are Grow Food Northampton, the Three County Fair, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Transition Northampton, the Western Mass Permaculture Guild, and CISA, the Community In Sustaining Agriculture.
Proceeds of the Vegetable Garden Tour will be reinvested back into Ward 3 projects such as gardening, food production and education, and beautification projects throughout the ward.
Tickets for the Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour, with a map and garden descriptions, are available at the A2Z Science Store on King Street, Deals and Steals on Pearl Street, and Serio’s Market on State Street. Tickets are $8 if purchased in advance and $10 if purchased on the day of the tour.
Further information about the Ward 3 Vegetable Garden Tour can be obtained from Tour Chair Joanne Mackiewicz at (413) 374-0550, Lola Reid at 584-9463, Jerry Budgar at 584-2964, or at the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association website at www.WardThree.com
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