From feeding Salem residents, to supporting local wildlife, organizations in Salem are using their gardening skills to help their neighbors and the natural world around them.
There are two incredible plant-powered groups ensuring gardening and local food is accessible to all residents of Salem. These organizations are the Salem Community Gardens and Mack Park Farm. The Salem Community Gardens are four non-profit, volunteer-run community gardens across Salem, which include Palmer Cove, Mack Park, Pickman Park, and Splaine Park. Throughout these gardens are raised beds and plots that are rented out for a low price to over 248 families to grow their own food , but there are also options for those who may not be able to afford a plot of their own. Salem Community Gardens is flexible, and will work with families to ensure that they have access to a plot regardless of financial status by contacting hello@salemcommunitygardens.org. Sign up for a plot today! However, suppose residents do not have time or the ability to maintain a plot. In that case, there are designated donation plots at each garden location that grow food specifically for the Salem Food Pantry, and is donated there weekly.
As for Mack Park Farm, their work is equally as important and impressive. Once a neglected ball field, Mack Park Farm is now a fruit and vegetable farm that grows thousands of pounds of produce every season, implementing organic practices without the use of harmful pesticides. Farmers and volunteers work diligently to grow the best quality fruit and vegetables for Salem residents, food assistance organizations, and local small businesses. Surrounding the vegetable and herb beds, a food forest of fruit and nut trees and berry bushes has been planted and soon will be available for residents to pick on their own. They use permaculture techniques to grow their crops seamlessly along with the natural behavior of the local environment, allowing for weed control, improving air quality, nourishing the soil, and supporting local wildlife and pollinators. To stay up to date with what’s going on at Mack Park Farm or to find out more about how to access these delicious harvests, you can follow their Instagram page, Facebook page, or email kmurphy@salem.com.
If you’ve ever spent some time around green spaces in Salem, chances are you’ve witnessed the efforts of talented local organizations working to improve biodiversity in our neighborhoods. Parks, schools, and other frequented spaces are home to diverse native plant species, beautifying the locations and offering food and shelter to essential bugs and animals. Although these species are native to Salem, they did not appear on their own. Native Nursery is one of the hardworking organizations in Salem that have put extensive time and effort into planting native species throughout the city in order to raise awareness and improve biodiversity.
Increasing the amount of native species in an area can have numerous benefits for those who live there. Native plants offer food and shelter to local wildlife, help populations grow or stabilize, can help them navigate the land, and may even improve air quality. In fact, planting native species can lower the severity of natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and landslides. For humans, native plants can improve moods and overall well-being, encourage community connection, and require less maintenance than non-native plants, not to mention how beautiful they look growing in the places we know and love!
Just this past year, the nursery held a Bates Beautification Day to remove invasive species, plant native ones, hold student painting activities and more around the Bates Elementary School. They even built a student-friendly woods trail, along with a trailhead sign in the Salem Woods. Their most recent project has included removing invasive species from Winter Island, and will be shared with the public on their website soon. In addition to these larger projects, they regularly sell a wide variety of native plants that residents can purchase and plant in their own yards, allowing everyone to get involved and improve biodiversity on their property. If you would like to get involved and/or stay up to date on what’s happening with Native Nursery, you can follow their Instagram page, Facebook page, or contact them via email.
Salem is home to an abundance of environmentally-friendly organizations working to improve local biodiversity and foster community connection. With so many beautiful plants growing, there is no doubt that Salem has a green thumb that only seems to get greener! Next time you are out on a stroll around town, take a moment to stop and admire the local plant species from Native Nursery, or head to one of the local community farms to get your hands dirty. You might even have a green thumb, too!