Sparks in the News!

Faith-based gardeners are getting discovered by the media, and I was thrilled to read (and be quoted in!) this article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel last week on the expansion of a church garden we know and love around here.

The piece features friends-of-Sparks Candy Evans and Lori Robbins, who have exciting plans to expand the community vegetable garden at their United Methodist congregation in Delray Beach after a first season that yielded donations of around 300 pounds of fresh produce to a local soup kitchen. 

Religion writer Lois K. Solomon writes in the article about the church-membership benefits of gardening, especially notable in this case since it might be argued that the garden saved this particular church from having to close its doors:

The Rev. Linda Mobley, Cason pastor, believes the garden is a nonthreatening way to welcome potential new congregants. Sunday attendance has increased to 165 from about 90 this time last year.

"It's a good vehicle for our people to meet neighborhood people so everyone is comfortable," she said, "instead of walking up to a stranger and saying, 'Can I tell you about my church?'

Click here for the original Sparks interview with Candy and Lori.

And if you're hankering for more spiritual gardener interviews, click here!