Copperas Cove church hosting community garden open house
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
A local church is welcoming the community to participate in a community garden on its gorunds.
On Saturday, Aug. 3, Southern Hills Baptist Church is holding a special community garden open house, during which registration is available for gardening plots.
There will be crafts for kids and music, as well as baked goods for sale.
The church is located at 2920 S. F.M. 116, just past the Copperas Cove city limits side on the right.
The community is invited to come out from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. to select a 3-foot by 4-foot plot. The church has a dozen plots which can each be adopted for $20, for one year.
Right now, the garden isn’t planted, but plans are in the works for planting for a fall harvest.
Kendra Price, wife of the church’s senior pastor, Dr. Jason Price, is an alumnus of Prairie view A & M and is spearheading the garden efforts. She is joined by her daughter, Jasmine, in the garden planning.
Jasmine is involved in Bell County FFA and said she is interested in studying soil and how it’s important to understand what type of soil goes best with raised beds.
This is their second year with a garden at the church grounds and they have learned a lot about working with the rocky local soil.
They’ve already had a successful spring/summer garden using the square-foot gardening boxes and are looking forward to the fall.
“We did have a summer garden and we got a really good harvest, and actually started in our bathroom because the moisture and the humidity helps with germination,” Price said. “We’re getting ready to plant baking pumpkins and winter squash.”
Price said that Prairie View A&M University’s College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources has awarded them with a grant for $1,000. The grant will be used for a greenhouse onsite and includes gardening supplies.
“We’ll get people to learn from A to Z the process of growing from seedlings, transplanting, and more.”
Also coming up for gardeners is a workshop this fall during which they will learn how to make rain barrels to collect rainwater that can be used in the garden.
Krista Felber is also working with the Prices on the garden. She also has a farm to table bakery and will have some of her items at the open house.
“Most of the ingredients I use in baking are from Central Texas or, the surrounding area. For flour, I use the flour from a mill in Barton Springs.”
The Prices are likewise getting involved with the Bell County Master Gardener programs.
“We’re especially interested in working with kids, giving them access to agriculture education,” Price said. “We also want to donate some of the foods that we grow to surrounding charitable organization. That’s important to us.”
For more information, email shbcove18@gmail.com or call 512-497-7154.