Central MA Environmental Council to Host Garden Festival on May 17

Thursday, May 08, 2014

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Mural painting at the Regional Environmental Council

The Regional Environmental Council of Central Massachusetts (REC) will host their annual Spring Garden Festival & Plant Sale on Saturday, May 17th between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The event will be held at the REC YouthGROW farm on 63 Oread Street Worcester, MA.

This year, the REC Food Justice staff are growing over 15,000 organic vegetable seedlings at the Holy Cross greenhous. There will be over 30 different types of organic vegetable seedlings for sale. In most cases, customers will be able to choose from up to four different varieties of a particular plant.

Live music, food, and hands on learning

The festival portion will include a variety of free urban gardening workshops, live music, food, and a fun assortment of children’s activities.

Libby the Library Express will team up with the REC Mobile Market to provide lots of hands on learning opportunities for both children and adults. Community members are also invited to help create a mural for the YouthGROW farm. The mural project is funded by the Worcester Arts Council, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Community support for this event directly benefits the REC UGROW (Urban Gardening & Resources of Worcester) community and school garden network.

Stacie Brimmage, UGROW Coordinator said,“The money raised helps us support a network of 61 gardens (18 at Worcester Public Schools) with soil testing services, compost deliveries, urban gardening workshops, and organic seeds and seedlings. I see the Spring Garden Festival & Plant Sale as a one stop shop where people can satisfy their gardening needs, and enjoy an all-out block party. The street is lined with community organizations sharing the good work they do in the community, the mobile market will be chock full of delicious eats, and we always have an awesome line up of musical performers.”

The UGROW network of community gardens began in 1995 and still operates through a grassroots, “from the ground up” process. The UGROW community gardens help build community by connecting neighbors with one another, including people of all ages and backgrounds. Together these gardens produce over 15,000 pounds of food annually.

The Regional Environmental Council, Inc. is a grassroots, non-profit organization in Worcester, Massachusetts–New England’s second largest city. Founded in 1971, REC has been dedicated to building healthy, sustainable and just communities in Worcester and beyond for over 40 years.

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