On Saturday, June 23, from 9 until noon (or until supplies run out, which may not be very long
depending on how many people come), the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden will
be having its second Black Raspberry Festival. Because non-gardener pickers are limited to
the berries growing on the outside of our fence, there is, of course, no
charge. Those berries are free to all every day. However, we will have baked goods and some
plants for sale and will accept tax-deductible donations. The SACG is a 501(c)(3) public charity. We
have 120 feet of black (and gold) raspberries to be picked. They don’t last long and new berries ripen
every day.
Amy and I are baking. I will also have many plants and seedlings available, including ferns, coneflowers, white garden phlox, butterfly bushes and purple bee balm
We need to raise funds this year to purchase more fruit trees to fill out our orchard in the Fall and to defray the cost of running water which we expect to have in early August. We so need a gas or battery powered edger/weed wacker. Also, we have lots
of berries ripen every day in June and not enough people pick them. I hate to see them go to
waste. They are great in pies , cakes, ice cream, jam, cobblers and crisps. The
neighborhood kids like them in smoothies or just to pop in their mouths.
We could also use more help picking berries
for our weekly food pantry donation because it takes about an hour to pick a
pint (due to the thorns). I will give you pint
containers and if the outside berries are already picked over, and you seem
like a very careful person, I will let you pick from inside the Garden in our
food pantry plots where there are berries.
That is a special privilege granted to very few non-gardeners.
As readers know, black raspberries are
among my favorite foods on earth and they are highly nutritious. Their dark color makes a great dye (and was
used by the USDA to stamp meat) and is associated with high anti-oxidant,
anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties. Among other things,
- Studies at Ohio State University showed a 60–80 % reduction in colon tumors in rats fed a diet with black raspberries added.
- Studies at Ohio State University showed an 80% reduction in esophageal cancers in mice fed a 5-10% diet of black raspberries.
I won’t
deny that the berry brambles are covered and filled with weeds in some places.
(I pulled a lot Monday night on the south side).
Pickers should feel free to pull weeds when they find them because there
are often ripe berries behind and under the weeds (in my experience).
We did not have an extensive tart cherry crop this year, but there are still some left. Feel free to bring a ladder because none of
us have reached the high cherries yet. Of course, you pick at your own risk.
We
would also be happy to send you home with as much spearmint and chocolate mint
as you would like. Those plants are
prolific at the SACG. I’m not too
aggressive with them because their pleasant smell deters certain bugs away from
our squash.
If
you come, feel free to bring some books for our perpetually under-stocked Free
Little Library.
You
will need to bring your own container for the berries that you plan to take
home with you to eat. We assume that you
will eat some as you pick. At least I
hope so. Too many city dwellers don’t
know the joy of picking a berry and putting it immediately in your mouth. Yum. Yum.
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