Community gardens, volunteerism and feeding people...
This is Lynchburg Grows

Once upon a time in Lynchburg, Virginia, before we had community gardens, there was complex of greenhouses that grew roses; lots of roses. Today those greenhouses grow organic vegetables and cover 70,000 square feet on 6.5 acres adjoining the city ballpark stadium. This is Lynchburg Grows.

Photo below: Lynchburg Grows entry sign at the parking area

The property has a remarkable history that attests to the dedication of Lynchburgers to take care of people in need.

The 6.5-acre greenhouse complex was built in 1920 by the Doyle family to produce cut flowers. At that time, there was only one greenhouse complex in the whole state that was larger and it was in neighboring Roanoke.

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Lynchburg/118-5294_Schenkel_Farm.pif.list.htm.

The Doyle's business grew into a huge distribution network along the U.S. east coast which was ultimately sold in 1952 so that the family could concentrate on wholesaling. The new enterprise was named the Lynchburg Wholesale Florist.

Photo: Row of original greenhouses at Lynchburg Grows

H.R. Schenkel Sr. purchased the property in the 1952 sale and began growing roses exclusively which were sold to Lynchburg Wholesale Florist for worldwide distribution.

For the next 40 plus years, the greenhouse complex accounted for about 23% of Virginia's entire flower production, and all of it in roses. At peak production, there were almost 100,000 rose bushes growing on the property, yielding 20,000 roses per day.

By 1990 it became apparent that strong competition was springing up in South America and by 1998, most of the U.S. producers found themselves unable to remain in business. Schenkel was forced to shut down the operation and the property sat idle and vacant for the next five years.

Enter Lynchburg Grows and
The Community Gardens

As luck would have it, in 2004 two men, Michael Van Ness and Dereck Cunningham were looking for land for community gardens and came across the abandoned rose farm.

Lynchburg Grows was formed as a non-profit and the land and greenhouses were purchased from the Schenkel family.

The Schenkel's did not want to see their heritage in Lynchburg be transformed into an asphalt and concrete housing project so an attractive deal was structured with Lynchburg Grows and the farm was renamed the Schelkel Urban Farm & Environmental Center.

Photo right: Lynchburg Grows President Dereck Cunningham

Lynchburg Grows mission is to provide a place in the community where people with disabilities, at risk youth, and the public in general can contribute and be part of the community.

Much of the history of the property has been preserved by Lynchburg Grows. For example, they have been able to save at least nine varieties of roses that were formerly grown on the property.

Photo: Heritage roses that have been preserved

Also of interest on the property is a 40ft by 13ft underground root cellar that was built in 1920. It is in its original state and was used to keep flowers cool in the summer and bulbs from freezing in the winter.

The farmhouse, power plant, and packing shed are also original and unique.

The packing house serves as a facility to sort, clean and pack the various items of produce for the use of needy Lynchburg resident and for sale to local customers. Some of those customers include restaurants like Isabella's Trattoria and Grace Restaurant.

Photo: Entrance to St. John's greenhouse at Lynchburg Grows

Lynchburg Grows and St. John's Episcopal Church joined forces to rehabiliate one of the green houses which resulted in 5,000 pounds of fresh vegetables being donated to Daily Bread, a Lynchburg homeless shelter.

The year-end 2010 tally for 2010 came in at 8,350 pounds of fresh, healthy food; a 67% increase.

In addition to completing the renovation of Greenhouse No. 8, St. John's has rescued and replanted over 100 rose bushes. In 2010, those heritage rose bushes yielded 10,168 rose stems that were donated throughout the community.

In addition, the greenhouse beds are filled with vegetables and lettuces all of which will continue to be donated to those in need.

There is a very informative Lynchburg Grows website that can be addressed at http://www.lynchburggrows.org or just by clicking on the highlighted link.

Photo left: The packing house where produce is sorted, cleaned and packed.

Lynchburg Grows' goal is to link food production and processing to community development, economic opportunity, and environmental enhancement, a mission that ties the fundamental element of healthy eating into the smart growth equation.

An incredible amount of work goes into preparing an old, dormant greenhouse for new planting. At Lynchburg Grows and the community gardens most of the work is done by volunteers. For example, over the past three years, over 23,000 community volunteers have donated their time and sweat to making a success of the project. There is no better evidence of solid support for the community gardens concept.

The nonprofit's focus on supplying fresh, organic produce, grown just 10 minutes from downtown, will support local agriculture and improve residents' access to healthy foods.

These Community Gardens are Organic

Lynchburg Grows is very sensitive to the principles of organic farming in its community gardens. The land was originally was is known as a "brownfield" meaning that it may have been contaminated by industrial chemicals or agricultural pesticides and fertilizers over the years.

In order to insure that no contaminants would be taken up by the produce from the community gardens, the two founders began collecting food scraps from local dining halls and tons of dead leaves and wood chips.

Photo above right: Mulch piles that will soon become soil

From this they made 3,000 tons of high-quality chemical-free soil, replacing the contaminated soil, and saving the city $96,000 in land fill costs from leaf collection.

In place of pesticides, the community gardens use ladybugs, praying mantises and other natural predators to dispose of aphids, worms and other plant pests.

Today, much of the produce in our local markets were harvested green and transported over a thousand miles to market, both of which degrade the nutritional content of the fruit and vegetables.

By strengthening local food production, Lynchburg Grows and its community gardens further enhance the quality of life for those living in Lynchburg.

All too often, it is difficult to find fresh and healthy foods at the corner stores and small grocery stores that operate in distressed neighborhoods.

The community gardens will provide local residents the opportunity to grow their own food, help to beautify the neighborhoods, and provide opportunity for outdoor recreation.

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All This and Animals too!
It's an Educational Experience.

Lynchburg Grows is now more than just fresh produce. Fresh free-range eggs are now on the menu. A chicken coop provides customers with eggs as well as serving as a educational experience for kids visiting the site.

Photo left: Meet the rest of the family

Other critters in the complex include a big tom turkey, two goats, a Muscovy duck and a pair of Japanese pheasants. Education is an important mission for Lynchburg Grows and the community gardens.

Local teachers often bring their classes here to see first-hand how food is produced and learn about the life cycle of plants.

From the smart growth perspective, Lynchburg Grows also has served as a major catalyst for revitalization in the city's midtown district. Lynchburg Grows owns five properties throughout the Point of Honor and College Hill neighborhoods, which it plans to turn into community gardens.

Location and contact:
Lynchburg Grows
1339 Englewood St.
Lynchburg, VA 24501
Tel: 434-846-5665
E-mail: info@lynchburggrows.org

Lastly, the community gardens of Lynchburg Grows are now on Facebook. Search "Lynchburg Grows" and then "Like" them. We can also keep up with them by following their blog at www.LynchburgGrows.org.

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