Bearden UMC Community Garden - Gleaning Basket 8/4/26.
Yesterday at the Knox County Master Gardener's meeting, I heard a presentation by Pastor Chris Battle about starting the Battlefield Farms (https://battlefieldfarm.org/), which was to help solve the food desert problem in East Knoxville. He also talked about the start of the Knox County Community Gardens and Grower's Alliance (https://knoxgardenalliance.org/), which our community garden is a member of. When he started the farm, they added gleaning baskets to the fences surround the farm to distribute food, which was based on Leviticus 19:9-10. I loved this idea and today added a basket to our fence with a sign about the gleaning basket and placed our harvest in the basket and fence.
The sign says:
GLEANING BASKET at the edge of our field for YOU from the BUMC Community Garden. YOU MATTER! Leviticus 19:9-10 NIV “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.”

We had almost 17 lbs of cucumbers to place in the glean basket to the corner of the fence next to the parking lot.
I also put a sign at the blessing box.
The sign says:
Dear Neighbors, We have FRESH PRODUCE for you across the parking area in our GLEANING BASKETS on the fence of our BUMC Community Garden. Thanks, BUMC
We harvested over 25 lbs of tromboncinio squash, okra, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
While we were in the garden, we had two people come by and collect fresh food from the gleaning basket and bag. One of the ladies was interested in working with us in the garden and gave us produce scrapes for our compost bins.
God also watered a .25 inches while we were in the garden this evening.
Now Battlefield Farms has a Veggie Van and Chris Battle is planning to open the One Five Grocery store where everything will sell for cost plus 5 cents (https://battlefieldfarm.org/one-five/). This grocery will be another opportunity, where we can donate our produce harvest.
Blessings, Leigh
How exciting!!! What a wonderful way to expand our food ministry and nourish ourselves and our neighbors.
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