Pocasset community garden brings in harvest as Bourne pursues buying land from county
POCASSET — The Valley Farm Thrift Shop Art Sale commenced on a bright, clear and brisk Saturday morning at the point where County Road starts to wind toward Cataumet.
The thrift shop on county-owned land is in its 14th year while the ever-expanding Community Garden behind the premises has provided items for the Bourne Friends Food Pantry and operated with 98 plots on 1.5 acres for nine years.
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The garden pivots on a connection with the Bourne Society for Historical Preservation and relies on local grants, support from Bourne Methodist Church and area business donations. It is used by multi-generational and multi-family gardeners.
Garden's origin dates back to on old hospital
The shop and gardens were once part of the Barnstable County Hospital complex that was demolished in 2002. The garden provided fruit and vegetables to the hospital with its tuberculosis patients. So, the tract remains an agricultural operation. But there is a snag.
The thrift shop and garden are tenants-at-will of Barnstable County government.
The county owns the thrift shop and Community Garden tract as well as land north of Dr. Julius Kelley drive, stretching back west from County Road to the former county hospital site where Cape Cod Senior Residences is now . A lot next to the shop and gardens had been a finalist for a new fire station location.
The entire county parcel is about 50 acres.
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County commissioners are willing to sell the tract near Dr. Julius Kelley Drive and the Bourne Board of Selectmen have been authorized to spend up to $900,000 for a purchase. But the board does not want to spend that much money for acreage that includes land Bourne will never be able to use.
Commissioners, according to Town Administrator Marlene McCollem, have not responded to correspondence about a sale or its price tag. So, gift shop and garden operations remain tenuous.
“I look back and think this has been a remarkable project,” said Diane Speers of Pocasset, gift shop manager, garden director, planner and steering group member. “Many years. This is everything we hoped it would be — multi-family gardeners, diligence, 500 pounds of food to the food pantry and in the end, healthy eating.”
Speers has been on the job from the collaborative beginning when the Valley Farm tract was wild, weed-choked, overgrown and mostly forgotten. Now the woodchip paths through the veggies are straight with right angles, plots wired off.
“We’ve preserved the agricultural use of this property from the time when it supported the hospital,” she said. “That’s what we said we intended. It’s what we’ve done. It’s been a pretty remarkable project.”
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During those first days as volunteers cleared the garden, David Dimmick of Cataumet was up high in an old fruit tree at the center of the tract hacking and whacking, cutting back choking vines. Closely watched by gardeners and gawkers down below openly wondering if the tree would survive.
The tree stands today, a sentinel of sorts, perhaps a symbol in its commanding position. Still a work in progress. Fruitful.
Drought, critters challenge for gardeners
The garden survived this year’s drought. Water consumption was not that bad though gardeners were diligent about preserving their work. Next year, there will be 100 plots. But finding gardeners and volunteers is proving difficult.
“People are going back to work after COVID,” Speers said. “They don’t have time at the end of the day to garden. So we had a great blueberry crop this year, but no pumpkin patch. That’s labor intensive. A lack of volunteers. The festival was not practical during COVID.”
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There are other challenges. Notably, critters. Deer, wild turkeys, voles and woodchucks.
“They like the tomatoes,” Speers said. “Everyone here has tomatoes.”
The goal is to create more healthy sustainable gardening. Next year, there will be a Squash Palace with peas, lettuce, kale and butternut squash.
“We want to grow more in a more efficient way,” Speers said. “And we’ll have a ‘tall bed’ for gardeners who can’t bend over any longer or who just can’t get up anymore. But still want to garden.”
Speers eschews state grants. She prefers local assistance and forging relationships with town and area businesses; including Bay End Farm in Buzzards Bay and Bogside Farm in Cataumet.
At midday, the Saturday sun was high. The art sale was closing down. Historical society members Bill Towne, Joan O’Brien and Louise Innis were chatting with Jim Sullivan, who was intent on buying sailing art.
The morning waned. New shadows formed. The gardens empty. Next? The water shuts off the first week of November, traditionally when the first frost hits.
Volunteer Jean Hills looked around from the back of the spread, saying one more work session is set for Friday .
“It looks like this place is ready to close down,” Hills said.
To donate to the thrift shop/gardens, send checks to Valley Farm Community Garden, P.O. Box 125, Pocasset, MA 02557.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Community garden season ends as Bourne pursues buying land from county
