The Greater Franklin Food Council, in collaboration with LEAP’s Stone Soup Community Garden, is starting its first-ever Gather and Grow Community Garden Program.

This program will lead a cohort of gardeners through the growing season, from planting and fertilizing to preserving the harvest and cooking ideas. The purpose is to build a gardening learning community for people who want to learn how to grow food, don’t have access to land for gardening, or just want to garden with friends, according to a news release from Ellie Sloane-Barton, the coordinator for the Gather and Grow Program.

“We hope to grow more than just food and knowledge in this program,” said Sloane-Barton. “We hope that, through gardening together, we will create community and long-lasting relationships that will persist far beyond people’s gardens.”

The Gather and Grow cohort will meet weekly for open gardening hours with a master gardener with one facilitated workshop per month. Topics will include soil fertility, seed saving, canning and succession planting.

This program includes a LEAP Stone Soup Garden plot, seeds/starts, and all other supplies needed for gardening and food preservation. In addition, a childcare option will be available on site for families needing to bring their children.

Workshops and gardening hours are scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. every Monday from May 15 to Oct. 2 at LEAP Stone Soup Gardens, 482 Farmington Falls Road in Farmington.

Registration is on a sliding scale of $5-$50.

To apply, visit greaterfranklinfoodcouncil.org.

For more information, contact Sloane-Barton at [email protected] or 207-860-6346.

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