May 25, 2023 | By Emilie Jacques
2023 Kitchen Garden Underway at Copper Shores Meals on Wheels
After every long and bitter winter, spring eventually rolls around in the Copper Country, and with it comes the growing season. Whether it’s native plants that somehow survive the winter with no jacket or mittens, or the produce and flowers our resilient residents plant, spring is the time to get going on our gardens.
Here at Copper Shores Meals on Wheels, staff are hard at work preparing for the warmer months, and implementing a home-grown way to feed seniors fresher and more nutritious food. The kitchen garden sits just outside the front doors of Meals on Wheels, and could not bring fresh produce closer to home. The herbs and vegetables being grown in-house will be implemented into the menu as soon as they are ready.
The kitchen garden focuses on healthy garden staples, including kale, potatoes, radishes, and popular herbs like garlic and sage. In addition to the basics, the garden includes exciting specialities like lavender and the edible flower nasturtiums.
Growing some of our food in-house is one of many projects Meals on Wheels is working on to better serve the seniors in our community and give them fresh and nutritious food. Seniors and community members are encouraged to enjoy the garden as it grows this summer.
Wheels on Meals staff took the time to rake, weed, and sow seeds on Wednesday, May 10. It seems the vegetables are just as excited to feed seniors as the staff are, as some are already sprouting.
The garden also works as an educational opportunity. Kathleen Harter, program director of Meals on Wheels has taught new staff how to garden and take on self-sustaining practices. She believes that anyone can garden with a little help and a patient mentor.
In a few weeks time, the staff will be able to reap the benefits of their hard work and put the produce and herbs straight into their cooking, for the freshest flavor possible. With whole heads grown from just one clove of garlic and pounds of potatoes right outside, seniors are sure to love the food.
Seniors love the food not only because it’s healthy, but because it’s beautiful. The rich colors on fresh, whole foods are much more enjoyable than a highly processed meal.
Copper Shores Meals on Wheels is available to all homebound residents of Houghton and Keweenaw counties. To learn more and get started receiving meals daily, visit coppershores.org/mealsonwheels or call 1 (906) 483-1155.
