“Bring them to the garden” at Hoop House | News, Sports, Jobs

News photo by Darby Hinkley. Amy Dodge, head gardener at the Hoop House, talks about all the benefits of the organic food produced in the community garden.

ALPENA – The Hoop House on the campus of Alpena Community College provides organic produce to people in the community who may not have access to fresh, nutritious food.

It is a true community garden. The fenced garden and indoor growing area are carefully managed by Amy Dodge and maintained by a team of volunteers.

Fresh vegetables from the garden are donated to area nonprofits including the Friendship Room, Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, Sunrise Mission, Sunrise Center, Alpena Senior Citizens Center and more.

“We are completely organic and non-GMO,” Dodge explained. “We are very selective.”

The Hoop House is registered as a “people’s garden” with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“This is a people's garden,” Dodge said. “It's about community and showing people how to grow plants easily and educating them and making it a community space. We want to build on that.”

A sign at the entrance to the Hoop House states: “This garden can have a major impact on your community by: Growing fresh, healthy food and supporting a robust, local food system. Teaching people how to garden using sustainable methods. Creating a habitat for pollinators and wildlife, as well as green spaces where neighbors can come together, reflect, and enjoy themselves.”

For more information, visit usda.gov/peoples-garden.

“We want to use geothermal energy so we can grow year-round,” Dodge noted.

Geothermal farming uses pipes buried in the ground to extract heat from the earth, thereby extending the growing season.

“We really want to work more on composting, which also generates heat,” Dodge said.

She wants to inspire others to grow plants in the garden and experience the joy that comes with the harvest.

“I want this to be the catalyst for a volunteer center where we really get our volunteers to work together and care,” Dodge said.

She added that more people should have access to healthy food.

“The most important thing we can do to change our community is really food,” Dodge said. “If we can show everyone that you can just grow a little food … then we'll get them in the garden.”

Dodge began volunteering at the Friendship Room 16 years ago. She regularly delivers fresh produce to the kitchen, which is located in the old St. Bernard School building and is owned and operated by All Saints Catholic Parish as part of its Center of Charity. People in the parish can come to the Friendship Room Monday through Saturday and enjoy a free, balanced meal.

Dodge is originally from Alpena but lived in Florida for 35 years. When she returned to Northeast Michigan 16 years ago, she immediately threw herself into volunteer work. That's when she also began to get heavily involved in gardening.

She believes that nutrition is the key to a long, healthy life.

“Food is our medicine,” Dodge said. “It heals. God said so. Albert Einstein said so. For our community to heal, we need to eat well. We need to be conscious of what we eat.”

She encourages individuals and other community organizations to start planting their own gardens. The Alpena Senior Citizens Center has a garden, and the Boys and Girls Club is working on one, she said.

“If everyone put their hands in the soil and tended something every day and came together to eat a meal, it would have a huge impact on our mental health,” Dodge said. “Huge. Those two things. That's what I've learned.”

Dodge is grateful for the fruits of the earth and prays for every vegetable she harvests.

“The nutritional value is outstanding, because I bless that too,” Dodge said, holding a freshly picked carrot in his hand. “It's a super-healing food.”

It focuses on the “connection to source” and the “connection to community”.

“We really want to focus on clean air, clean water and clean soil,” she added. “It's just something we really want to get the community involved in.”

She said she wants to provide more organizations and events with fresh, nutritious food.

“You'll see our food in the community, but most importantly, we want to get it to where it's needed most,” Dodge said. “That's really our priority.”

For more information about the Hoop House or to volunteer, contact Dodge at 989-278-9210.

Reach Darby Hinkley at [email protected] or call 989-358-5691.