First Presbyterian Church
1200 South Carbon Street
Marion, IL, 62959

Our Story
The Cultivating Care Food Donation Garden is a partnership between the Salvation Army Food Pantry, First Presbyterian Church, and University of Illinois Extension. Established in 2021, we have grown over 2,444 pounds of produce!  This garden was created to combat food insecurity in Marion. Our main funding source is Growing Together Illinois, which is funded by University of Illinois Extension’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education.  Produce is grown, harvested, weighed, and donated to the Salvation Army food pantry by volunteers like you, providing a fresh source of produce to pantry clients. Visit the garden to learn how to grow vegetables in raised beds and to see different techniques you can try at home. These gardens are open for all to care for, visit, and experience. No previous garden experience is required to volunteer.  We do ask that volunteers log their volunteer time and produce weight so we are able to share our community impact. 

Food donation gardens have the power to build community and feed our families, friends, and neighbors. Sign up to volunteer by adopting a week. Adopting a week involves visiting the garden 2-3 times during your assigned week to water, weed, harvest, and deliver produce, as needed.  See descriptions of each task below.

Water
Check to see if the beds need to be watered by putting your finger in the soil - if it feels dry, it's time to water. Soak the raised beds by watering the base of the plants, and try to avoid wetting the leaves.  How to water: Turn on the spigot at the church.  Lift the lever of the pump in the garden.  This is connected to drip irrigation.  Turn it on for 30-45 minutes while you are at the garden.  Then do other tasks. You will need to manually water the pizza in a pot 4-H container gardens, the pollinator plants in front of the garden and potatoes.  Don't forget to turn off the hose pump lever, church spigot.  Please wind up the hose when you are finished.   

Weed
Some of these plants aren't like the others. Each bed will be labeled with the crop planted. Weed anything else. Unsure if it is a weed? Text a photo to Kim Rohling for identification, kimrohli@illinois.edu. Put weeds and over-ripe produce in the compost bin to keep the site clean for visitors.

Pest Check
Inform us if we have garden pests.  Text a photo to Kim Rohling for identification, kimrohli@illinois.edu.  Currently we are keeping our eyes peeled for squash vine borers and squash bugs. You may bring your own tape (packing or duct works best) to remove insect eggs from the leaves of plants.  This works for larvae and adults too.  You may also remove larvae or adults by brushing them into a soapy water bucket.  A drop of dish detergent will break the surface tension of the water so they can not climb out.

Harvest
If vegetables are ready to harvest, pick and wash them according to the harvest guide. Use tools located on the back side of the church near the spigot and garden tool storage bin. Rinse leafy greens and root vegetables before packaging. You may wash, package, and weigh produce at the Williamson County Extension Office: 1301 Enterprise Way, Suite 60, Marion, IL 62959. Phone: 618-993-3304. FAX: 618-997-1542. Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed noon- 1 p.m.).

Deliver
Deliver produce to the Salvation Army Food Pantry as soon as possible to keep food fresh. The Pantry is located at: 906 Tower Square Plaza, Suite A, Marion. Produce should be delivered on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays so that it can be distributed to clients during regular hours on Wednesdays and Fridays. Weigh everything by produce type and log the weights at the Extension Office. Package clean produce into individual serving sizes.
 
We will provide you with additional instructions prior to the week you choose to volunteer.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact 618-993-3304. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting your access needs.