Goodness Grows News

Newsletter #6

Everyone at Goodness Grows is happy to welcome back the classes from Crestview and Leetonia high schools and the Transition class from Salem! We are lucky enough to work with these fabulous students and staff every spring and fall. We learn so much each season from these classes, as we get to see the huge hearts and excellent work ethic they bring. Goodness Grows is grateful for all the time and effort they put into tending the gardens, making jam, cleaning, and much more. The kids benefit from this program as they get to see every part of the growing process, from planting to harvesting to readying the gardens for winter, as well as learning new skills that can be used for jobs to come. Come check out all the goings on any Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday morning through mid-October!

A great big thank you to the fine folks at the Austintown Farmers Market, the South Avenue Farmers Market, and the Howland Farmers Market! We had a blast participating in the markets this season and we can't wait until 2018. We appreciate the chance to get out in the community, meet new people, and see all the wonderful products our area has to offer. We have one market left this season - the Howland Market this Saturday, September 30th, from 9-1. Come enjoy the harvest bounty from your local farmers AND get some Jungle Jam!

The Goodness Grows staff, clients, and classes have been hard at work in the gardens and all over the property. New raised beds have gone in out back, with some of the clients and students learning building skills from our very own "Mr. Fix-It"- Don Fisher. Trellises that were built over the summer (some thanks to our awesome Mission Groups) have been put away for the winter. Plants, plastic, and the watering system are being pulled up. The hillsides have been trimmed back. Everything is on schedule to be ship-shape before the first snow flies!

Goodness Grows aims to donate at least 10% of our harvest to help those in need. This year we have worked with food banks in North Lima and Lisbon. We admire the work these organizations do, and are happy to be able to help some of the folks in need in our community. According to Feeding America, "In Ohio, 1,852,870 people are struggling with hunger - and of them 575,020 are children." As they remind us, "Our communities are stronger when we join together." We are glad for the opportunity to join with these hard working groups and hope our baskets of produce brightened up some meals for some local families.

If you didn't make it to a farm market and can't wait until the next craft show to get some Jungle Jam, give us a call. We're always happy to arrange a time for you to stop by here to buy some jam. We might even be able to meet you somewhere, if North Lima is not convenient for you.
Our current stock is as follows: Jungle Jam - Blueberry Hot Pepper, Cranberry Hot Pepper, Peach Habanero, Pineapple Habanero, Cherry Habanero, X-tra Hot and Juicy Jam - Peach Lemonade.

Jam makes a great gift!

CSA time has come to an end for this year. Thank you to all the people who participated during the 2017 season! We will take what we learned from this year into consideration as we plan for the 2018 growing season.

As a non-profit, we are always trying to raise money to keep our mission going. We are very appreciative of any and all donations, whether they are monetary, time, or useful items like sugar and regular 8oz. canning jars and lids for jam making. If you would like to be a part of Goodness Grows by making a donation or volunteering, please give us a call or send us an email. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep our programs running, enabling us to make a difference in the community. Thank you!

Goodness Grows is licensed through the state of Ohio to be a Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) service provider. We are an official site that provides daily programming - vocational habilitation - for adults with disabilities. This means we provide training in a wide array of life skills. Our clients spend their time here learning how to cook, bake, make jam, do laundry, clean, take care of gardens, and much more. Currently they even get to learn about the life cycle of butterflies, as they built an enclosure to keep caterpillars. Our first butterfly hatched, to much excitement, this week! Contact us if you would like to learn more about our program.

Goodness Grows is a faith-based non-profit that has grown out of the commitment of care to work creatively with community groups, congregations, workplaces, and individuals. Our mission is to inspire new hope by growing food locally and teaching sustainable vegetable production. Goodness Grows is committed to promoting human services through creation care, service, and education for people of all abilities.

Email: kitty@goodnessgrows4all.org
Website: http://www.goodnessgrows4all.org/
Location: 2310 West South Range Road, North Lima, OH, United States
Phone: 330-549-9408
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodnessGrows4all/
Twitter: @GGrows