Gardening tons in tough times

This is where it started. Literally.

On a street in Wallingford, in a greenhouse behind Cyrus Appell's house, container after container of vegetable starts began. Lettuce and tomatoes. Bok choy and onions. Peppers and kale.

They were planted and cared for these past several months by a community of neighbors who grew right along with the seeds.

The starts were then donated to two large community gardens run by Lettuce Link, a division of Solid Ground, a nonprofit aimed at ending poverty.

Now grown, the vegetables are being harvested by volunteers and delivered to local food banks, which distribute them to needy families who use them for salads, stews. Sustenance.

"It is such a good thing," Appell told me the other day. "I just wanted a place to hang out by the chimes. But it has grown into a very productive part of the community, and we are producing tons of food in tough times."

More and more, Seattle's ubiquitous gardens are where community problems are solved. Consider Cascadian Edible Landscapes (CEL), which sets up gardens in exchange for rent. It built a greenhouse at the SeaMar Community Health Clinic and Recovery Center. This week, CEL offered gardening education to young, male SeaMar clients recovering from drug addiction.

It makes sense. Gardening requires patience, responsibility and the belief that something will grow and nourish you.

It's the same in times like these, when people are losing their jobs, their work hours, their pride. You have to be patient, responsible, and believe that something will grow.

All over the city, people are helping others break ground with their own bare hands. Lettuce Link has received starts from Girl Scout troops, Catholic schools and other P-Patches.

"There are so many people recognizing that gardening has benefits beyond our backyards," said Michelle Bates-Benetua, Lettuce Link's program supervisor.

Appell, a former hospice physician, built his greenhouse last year. He went to a Sustainable Wallingford meeting to learn about greenhouse gardening, and met several neighbors interested in a community project.

They got together and started planting seeds. On Earth Day last April, the group gave away 100 organic heirloom tomato starts, and were inspired to expand.

They found Lettuce Link, which for 20 years has provided fresh, organic produce to the city's emergency food system.

Lettuce Link distributed Appell's starts to local P-Patches, and to its one-acre Giving Garden at Marra Farm in the South Park neighborhood.

Appell estimates his group has donated 2,500 starts to Lettuce Link, which will yield thousands of pounds of organic produce.

"It's a kick growing things, and it is really special doing it for disadvantaged people," said Appell, who once worked as a welfare worker in the South Bronx.

"I saw what poverty is," he said. "It's devastating to be hungry, to be without hope."

The group keeps a log, called the Meridian Cornucopia, where planting and tending are recorded. "These smaller, self-contained community projects can have a lot of impact," said Abby Klingbeil, a member of Appell's group. "And it makes me feel better knowing that more people, especially children, might be able to enjoy and benefit from fresh veggies this summer."

Klingbeil, who has been pregnant through the growing process, sees a lot of symbolism in the experience.

"The plants are in the ground, some of the food is on people's tables, and the baby will arrive soon," she said. "Everything looks like it's in good shape."

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com.

Thanks for the kale and snap peas.