Star Gazer W41

Celebrating Year 2 of Star Co-operative Garden

Just a few weeks ago we celebrated with many of our Star Gardeners the incredible year we’ve had together. 30 pairs of hands helped pull potatoes, made wildflower bouquets, and clapped as the kids wobbled through a potato-on-a-spoon relay. 30 faces around a long, outdoor banquet table, bowls and plates full of a harvest-inspired feast, from Star Garden to table. We enjoyed savory zucchini bread, carrot soup, and even a popular Ukrainian salad known as vinegret. 30 voices joined in a harvest prayer:

We bless you, God of Seed and Harvest, and we bless each other,
that the beauty of this world, and the love that created it,
might be expressed through our lives and be a blessing to others,
now and always.

There was a lot to celebrate! 

• This year Star Garden produced over 275 gallons of produce, providing food for our gardeners, for newcomers from Ukraine and beyond, wildfire evacuees, Indigenous groups, St. Albert Food Bank, and others in need.
• This year with funding through the City of St. Albert’s Environmental Initiatives Program, and with a enthusiastic volunteer crew from Trace Associates (and many other hands), we added 200 square feet of greenhouse space to Star Garden.
• This year our Star Gardeners and friends have logged 425 volunteer hours and counting. The budding connections between generations; the shared work, wisdom, conversation and laughter between newcomers, families, friends, neighbours and strangers have been so inspiring.
• This year we hosted a number of educational opportunities: a Biology 20 field trip and work bee, a St. Albert Further Education newcomers afternoon, an evening of gardening workshops in partnership with the St. Albert Backyard Gardening Group, a contemplative gardening series entitled Planted: With God in the Garden, numerous tours, and so much more. 

This month we lay our deep mulch garden beds to rest under 300+ bags of fall leaves and grass clippings. If you have yard waste to donate, please contact garden coordinator Clint Porritt at programs@starofthenorth.ca for drop-off directions. Thank you so much for your support of this initiative!

Upcoming Programs

To find out more about any of our upcoming fall programs, please click on the event graphic below. As always we invite you to familiarize yourself with our programs, and help support local retreat ministry by sharing program and event information with your circles of connection. We are so grateful for your ongoing support.