Community Corner
Edible Gardening, About Town
A renowned edible garden expert gives a lecture this weekend in South Orange.
Lovers of edible gardening are in for a treat on Sunday, June 5, when the (MPHDA) hosts renowned Master Gardener Geri Miller and celebrated local chef Dan Richer for an afternoon of fun, learning and tasting.
The event, which will be held at a historic Montrose residence from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., will cover such topics as soil management, how to design edible landscaping in your own backyard, and the future of the sustainability movement in New Jersey. But if you want tickets, act fast – the event is nearly sold out. Click :
“We were pretty sure that there would be interest just by witnessing how many of our Montrose Park neighbors had done edible gardens last year,” said Craig Axtell, MPHDA trustee. “But the response has been way beyond our expectations.”
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Miller, who owns Home Grown Edible Landscapes, is based in Southern California but travels the country speaking and teaching about gardening. Through her Facebook page, she has developed fans all over the U.S. and throughout the world.
“One of the points of this presentation is that an edible garden can produce great veggies as well as look beautiful in your yard,” said Naoma Welk, president of MPHDA. “We are very fortunate to be able to have Geri speak.”
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Richer, owner of Arturo’s Osteria and Pizzeria in Maplewood, will be serving a tasting menu that highlights pristine raw ingredients from some of the New Jersey farms he supports.
Richer and Miller got to know one another through Facebook and connected because of their shared passion for local food production and sustainable agriculture. “We have similar ideas of how a food ecosystem should function,” said Richer.
“I'm a huge supporter of urban farming and alternative methods of food production. Our health, the environment, our local economy, and our local food culture are all at stake,” he said.
Guests will also receive a hydroponically grown edible from Arthur & Friends Greenhouse Project, a program that trains disabled and disadvantaged people for jobs in agriculture.
For more information, visit http://www.montroseparksonj.org or email info@MontroseParkSONJ.org.
