Community Gardening: You Belong Here

I wanted to share with you a note from a community gardener who's been with us 5 years, Colin Corbett . . . Here he is . . .

One of the ways that the Garden of Eaton came together: when one of the long time gardeners, Frank, passed away, the gardeners got together to pain a mural on the shed in his honor. Colin and Kim were a big part of the painting party. They are here, in matching camo.

Hello friends of Garden City Harvest!

In 2012, I had an extremely difficult year attributed to severe ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn’s disease. I had to quit my job, leave college, apply for disability and was bedridden on and off for most of the year.

As my physical health eventually started to stabilize, my mental health lagged behind.

My partner, Kim, signed me up for a community garden plot. I was terrified at the prospect.

We had both gardened once before and I knew a little bit about gardening from my parents and grandparents. But, my body had been acting so unpredictably for so long that I shuddered at the thought of starting anything new.

I was already convinced that regardless of what it was, I would fail.

When it came to community gardening, I didn’t fail.

Sure, I still had bad days, but when I did, there were great people and resources around to help me succeed. It played a major role in bringing positivity and confidence back in to my life and helping me to recover from the challenges of the previous years.

Before joining the garden, we relied on food stamps to make ends meet at times. In many cases, vegetables we grew we would not have been able to afford otherwise.

It isn’t just the benefits of gardening that keep me coming back, though. It is also the fact that Garden City Harvest truly values its gardeners and community members, and cares about making the program work for them.

I have a voice here.

You would be hard-pressed to find another organization that has impacted so many people’s lives. Missoula is a better place thanks to their presence.

Best wishes,

Colin Corbett, Garden of Eaton community garden