\
Community garden yields plenty in first year
Plans for expansion underway
SPECIAL ri) I HI CHRONICLE
In 12 months, the "Reap
More Than You Sow"
(RMTYS) project in Rural
Hall has gone from a concept
to Forsyth County's second
largest producing community
garden, yielding 7.500
Haurr
pounds in
cfops for
area food
banks and
volunteers
in its first
year.
What's
remark
able, said
project
C o -
founder
Mark Godwin, is the speed in
w hich the idea blossomed, as
community hackers gener
ously bought into a plan with
infrastructure, a focus on
young people and a concept
known as ecotherapy.
"We haven't had to spend
one cent of our own money,"
Godwin said. "The commu
nity response has been more
Submitted RKNO
Volunteers work in the garden.
than what we could have ever
expected. After I approached
(CEO) Scott Bauer at
Southern Community Bank
and Trust, they agreed to not
only help us financially, but
donate land for our first gar
den. After that, the project
just took off."
RMTYS, a nonprofit
organization, is celebrating
its first anniversary this
month with a fall planting at
the four original gardens on
land donated for use by
Southern Community Bank
and Trust, Pfafftown
Christian Church, Nazareth
Lutheran Church in Rural
Hall and Dr. Tom Wolfe and
Sandy Steele.
The project has received
multi-year financial commit
ments from Southern
Community Bank and Trust,
Flow Honda Winston-Salem
and Technology Crops
International. Funding and
materials from Home Depot,
Vulcan Materials. D.A.C.
Industries. and Shouse
Nursery have also been
instrumental in the garden's
early success. Just as critical
has been services provided at
no charge from the law firm
Kilpatrick Stockton. LLP and
Zero Gravity Design.
More than 100 volunteers
ages six to 77 worked the
gardens during the summer,
tilling, planting and ultimate
ly harvesting more than 30
different crops, from corn to
tomatoes to bell peppers to
broccoli. They also grew
flowers, from petunias to
marigolds and 10 different
herbs, such as cilantro, basil
and oregano.
The organization was co
founded by Godwin and
Chairman Andrew Hebard.
both qualified horticultural
ists and business owners who
specialize in crops.
Plans are already under
way to increase the number
of gardens to 20 by 20 1 1 and
early 2012. extending their
reach in some instances into
nearby Davie, Yadkin, Surry
and Guilford counties.
For more information, no
to www.reapmore.org. or
email info@reapmore.org.
Photo* b> Todd Luck
The W SSL Rehabilitation Studies Club prepares for its Disability Awareness Month event.
Disabilities
from page HI
through a ma/e of chairs
using a white cane to feel
their way. Even a challenge
as seemingly simple as pour
ing water from one cup into
another was difficult for the
blindfolded students.
Junior Margarett Herder
said she thought she did
okay on the pouring chal
lenge. She did find the blind
obstacle course "very, very
challenging. She relied on
verbal directions from stu
dent onlookers to help her
navigate Herder, an English
major minoring in Deaf
Studies, said she felt the
awareness event was need
ed.
"Just for a moment, we
walk in their shoes, and we
feel like, 'wow that's so
hard.' but we've got to rec
ognize there are people who
face these issues every day
and these disabilities every
day." said Herder. "It brings
Michelle Perry
attention to (them) and gives
a newfound respect."
The canes and blindfolds
were provided by Industries
for the Blind ( IFB) of
Winston-Salem, which also
set up a display at the event.
IFB is the nation's top
employer of visually
impaired people. The orga
nization's dedicated
employees make everything
from mattresses to eyeglass
es. IFB also offers classes
and events to educate the
public about the visually
impaired, said IFB's Jenny
Viars.
Junior Michelle Perry
helped out at a information
table for The Adaptables.
Inc., which was manned by
Executive Director James
Whalen and Independent
Living Program Director
Keith Greenarch.
Adaptables provides advo
cacy. information and serv
ices for those with disabili
ties. The agency offered a
flier listing the proper terms
to use when referring to peo
ple with disabilities.
"It makes you become
aware of what you say and
what you do." Perry said in
reference to the proper
names list.
Rehabilitation Club
President Deiandra Wade
said she thought the event
was a success, drawing a
larger crowd than she
expected. She said she
hoped her fellow students
learned something from the
event.
"The point is to make
each individual aware of
what goes on around them."
said Wade. "They need to
understand the things that
(people with disabilities)
have to go through to lead a
normal life."
[Trusted care at home when someone
you love is facing serious illness .
Hospice ?Sr Palliative
C A R E C E N I I K
768-3972
\ IospiccCarcCcntcr.org
Macedonia Holiness Church Of Cod
Of The Apostolic Faith, Inc.
BbhoiiXX.WiK.Sr.
DD;S.TJ).- Paslur
Sunday Service*
Sunday School
Morning Worship
. . . 9:45 a.m.
. 1 1:00 a.m.
. . . 6:30 p.m.
M.Y.P.U
Wednesday Services
Prayer & Bible Study 7:30 p.m
?4111 Whitfield Drive
Phone: 336-767-3700
A"?u. 336-767-7006
anr St. Peter's Church & World Outreach Center
KOCMl.uvb'ft! 'IHmr-Saim NC VVI^?fn iMItSMMO
Come Worship With Us!
Sunday Express:
8:00 a.m.
Sunday Worship:
10:00 a.m.
Wednesday Bible StudH
10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.nP
Bishop James C. &
Mrs. Joyce Hash,
Sr., Pastors
For information about additional seniles, visit our
website at www.spwoc.com
Grace United Holiness Church
140 Forest Drive
Kernersville, NC 27284
336-992-3190 >
Services at (?race
Sunday Morning Prayer.. .9:30 a.m.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:15 a.m.
Tuesday Evening 7:(X) p.m.
Ricky B. Wilson
Visit Our Website www.graceuhc.com
Geneva B. Brown
A Proven
Educator for
School Board
District 1
Stepping Out with the "Friends"
WSSI I FRIFNHS or 77)r J JRBABV
zyrn YFAB
GALA CEUIRB AllON
sg?
'I i iddv Noxpmtv i 5. 2010 MO - 1010 PM
<!I> in! I ! 11 l\< ' l< nillVMl's M 1 - >1
ImtixfliMl u? k? ^ ai< mo ,\u<l VI r.Hrs ,nc ,is low ,iv
; :i umnv 11 ? < !< nun (I
.?Mil 11 n.il ml' .1 in ii 1 m 1
^ \