A community garden in Murray has been helping residents take care of not just themselves, but others around them, by offering vegetables to those in need.
The SOUL Garden, which stands for “sustainable on urban land,” has been operating as a communal garden in Murray next to the Cottonwood Presbyterian Church. Vegetables of all varieties have been grown and taken care of, ready to be plucked by anyone who might need it.
Marshall Smith, chairman of the SOUL Garden, says that giving back to the community is the entire point of the garden and that it’s a wonderful thing. Not only does it help feed those in need, but the garden is used as a teaching tool for students from Woodstock Elementary who take tours to learn about the growing food and then help work in the garden.
According to Smith, people can pay a small fee for a garden plot where they can plant whatever they want, giving back some of what they grow as a form of donation. He says that people donate roughly around 20% and that the donated produce is sold to the community on Sunday mornings to help raise money.
Smith says that all the money the garden accumulates is set aside until the end of the season and later donated to food charities with unsold food going to local food banks.
People interested in the cause who might be interested in helping the SOUL Garden grow and give back to the community, emails can be sent to soulgardencottonwood@gmail.com.
