New beginning marked for Growing Places.

Byline: Jan Gottesman

CLINTON - The Growing Places Garden Project is itself growing.

The organization is planning an open house/ribbon cutting on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m., for its new space at 75 Green St.

Growing Places Garden Project, Inc. (GPGP) "has a mission to help people of limited economic means learn to grow their own food," according to Executive Director Jodi Breidel.

GPGP's geographic focus is a 22-town radius in North Central Massachusetts. The towns include Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Lancaster and Sterling.

In the past seven years, GPGP has donated gardens to 166 households, feeding approximately 550 people, Breidel said. The group also builds community gardens and has a large one at Clinton Hospital.

"This particular site was done in partnership with the hospital and the Clinton Parent Child Home Program, which manages the site," Breidel said.

"The group donates vegetable gardens and helps people grow their own food focusing on a holistic approach to gardening which includes `building gardeners.' Families are taught how to plant and maintain their gardens and are given information on how to grow, harvest, use and store their fresh produce throughout the growing season. GPGP's goal is to make sure that garden recipients are ready to garden on their own at the end of a two-year program. GPGP teaches people how to grow food and eat more nutritiously - giving them the tools to take more control over their health and their lives," Breidel said.

The program serves people of limited economic means, which is 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

"GPGP decided to move into warehouse space in Clinton so that we can expand our program offerings and build greater efficiency into our processes and procedures," Breidel said. "It's central to the towns and cities we serve, and we were thrilled to learn that Dunn & Co. had the space to fulfill our needs. Dunn and Co. has been a longtime supporter of GPGP. They are donating most of it, thus helping to keep our overhead expenses to a minimum."

David Dunn said while the project is paying a stipend to cover electric and heating costs, the company is happy to help cover the rest of the expenses.

"The 2,200-square-feet of space is a perfect fit for them, and was idle storage space for us," Dunn said. "In order to get back to the American Dream, and a strong economy, we all need to look around and see how we can help one another. For it is in giving that we receive."

Breidel said the group is excited for the future and the range of opportunities for growth, "from designing container gardens that can produce food for those with limited land, to providing education on a range of topics from growing vegetables to environmental sustainability. We plan to increase collaborations and community engagement, expand and extend offerings to meet community needs, and grow and strengthen the organization so that it meets its responsibilities to all its constituents: the supporters who generously donate funds and goods, our volunteers who provide crucial time and labor, and the gardeners who take the tools we all provide and produce healthy food from plants, seeds, water and sun."

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PHOTOG: Photo for The Item

CUTLINE: Zachary Normandin waters the garden installed at his Clinton house by Growing Places Garden Project while Groton school student volunteers (from left) Caroline Boes, Matthew Douglas, Travis Clarke, and Kaylee Maykranz look on.