The Cedar Ridge Community Garden, established July 2012 by Cornerstones and its community partners, is a 30′ x 60′ piece of land gardened collectively by the residents of Cedar Ridge. Raising one’s own supplemental food is not only economical for Cedar Ridge residents, whose average annual household income is $26,000 (in contrast to Fairfax County’s nearly $106,000 average household income), but in the words of one of its Master Gardeners, “Getting one’s hands in the soil and watching the produce grow is an uplifting experience which adds hope and joy to the residents’ daily lives.” The community garden fosters cultural awareness and a healthy lifestyle, families spend time with each other working in the garden, engage in physical activity and eat fresh produce.
And, thanks to Cabell Kendall of Boy Scout Troop 160, who chose the Community Garden for his Eagle Scout project, along with 30 scouts, parents and volunteers, the Garden has received a makeover! His project entailed extensive mulching, and removing of weeds and debris from the garden center. Once the weeding was complete, the scouts and parents put down new and fresh mulch and pine bark for the walkways of the garden center.
Additionally, a meshed netted ceiling was installed over the garden center to prevent birds from entering and eating the vegetables and food grown by the gardeners in the community.
“This project means a lot to the Cedar Ridge community and its residents,” said Wil Benjamin, Cornerstones’ Program Coordinator & Advocate at Cedar Ridge Community Center. “The garden is now ready for the season and the gardeners really appreciate all the hard work done by Cabell and his family and friends.”
Cabell was grateful for the support he received for the project, “I could not have completed this project in just one day without the support of local merchants, friends, members of Troop 160 and their parents, and my family.”
Before…
After!