St. Andrew's Terrace vegetable garden is having its most bountiful summer ever

The veggies residents and team members are growing are being used to make meals
8/17/2022  - Deron Hamel
St. Andrew's Terrace resident Ben Andrade is seen here working in the home's garden.  

A collective effort between residents and team members has resulted in the most bountiful harvest to date for the St. Andrew's Terrace vegetable garden.

The Cambridge, Ont. long-term care community plants a vegetable garden every year, and each summer the garden flourishes more than the previous summer, says life enrichment manager Sara Byma.

Sara chalks this up to the hard work and dedication shown by residents involved with the home's garden club. The club members meet weekly to discuss ideas and work in the garden.

Sara is giving a special nod to resident Ben Andrade, who has taken it upon himself to regularly water and weed the garden, which, she says, “is his pride and joy.”

“There is not a weed to be found,” she adds.

For their part, St. Andrew's Terrace dietary team members harvest the vegetables when they are ready and make meals using the fresh produce. Most recently, the chefs made a vegetable soup with the veggies they picked.

Dietary team members also take suggestions from residents on how to use the vegetables for meals.

“Dietary staff are already making requests for next years' garden, as they are eager to use our produce,” Sara says.

It's not only the dietary department that's looking at creative ways to use the bounty of fresh vegetables. The life enrichment team is planning to host a pizza-making program for residents using fresh-picked tomatoes for the sauce and other veggies for toppings.

Also in the home's outdoor area this year is new furniture and umbrellas that residents are enjoying. The furniture was purchased using “a very generous donation” from volunteer Dee Miller, who, sadly, passed away last year.

The residents' council has sponsored a courtyard project and is investing in trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and hostas, which have made the courtyards “very full and colourful,” Sara says.

“Family members also donated many hanging baskets, so we have more colour out there than ever before,” she adds.

“The courtyards and the vegetable garden bring so much joy.”

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