Local Green Thumbs Invited to Join GCC Community Gardens Project

Deptford Twp. – Gloucester County College invites local green thumbs to join the 2014 crop of planters who will participate in the Community Gardens Project, a charitable program that benefits student scholarships. 

On Tuesday, March 18, GCC Professor Henry Ryder will host an organizational meeting where area gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts can obtain more information on this summer’s program. The meeting takes place on campus at 7:30 p.m. in the Library Board Room.

From April 1 until Thanksgiving, planters can secure a 20’ x 30’ plot for a $25 donation to the GCC Scholarship Foundation. The Community Gardens Project brings together people with a common interest. It also provides an opportunity for those who live in apartments, condominiums and homes where space is limited to grow flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. 

For convenience, the College will set up a large water tank on site for gardeners to use. Individuals can grow a wide variety of crops including tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans and squash. Last year, a surplus of vegetables was donated to local food banks.

“For the last five years, approximately 45 gardeners per year have participated in the Community Gardens Project,” said Ryder. “All donations go directly to the college’s scholarship Foundation. I estimate that the project has helped generate nearly $40,000 on our students’ behalf.” 

The project was started 41 years ago by then professor and Foundation Board member Carl Chance. When he retired in the 1980s, economics instructor Ryder picked up the hoe and has directed the program ever since.For more information, call Ryder at 856-415-2145 or email him at hryder@gccnj.edu. 

The 250-acre GCC campus occupies land that until the mid-1960s represented some of the most fertile land within Deptford Township. The campus is located at 1400 Tanyard Road in Deptford, just off Exit 56 of Route 55.