A green thumb is doing his best to provide himself and the rest of the Tornado Park Old Age Home residents with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables every month.
Spencer Petersen, 70, single-handedly started a large vegetable garden within the Tornado Park compound to benefit residents. He loves gardening and said it keeps him on his toes. His wife, Louise, pitches in at times with watering the garden.
His intentions are pure and follows continuously hiking food prices, with items like fruits and meats actually becoming too expensive for some of the residents in the old age home.
“A meager R1 500 a month doesn’t leave you with enough, nutritious food options,” he told the Record.
“I know that some residents here have completely stopped purchasing fruit and meat and other essentials as they simply can’t afford it. My wife and I are fortunate to be able to afford our simple lifestyle here, and we felt we wanted to plough back into the community.”
Spencer faced serious health issues in the past year, and with his now-clean bill of health wants to make a difference in the lives of his next-door-neighbours.
“I’ve already noticed a difference in atmosphere and culture since we launched the garden,” he explained.
“Whereas previously, a lot of residents kept to themselves and their units, they now move out to the garden, come and view the veggies, make donations and excitedly ask, ‘When will it be ready?’,” he said.
He plants veggies in stages in order to be able to harvest for a longer period of time, thus extending the period when vegetables are available from the garden. At this point, his garden produces enough vegetables for two months at a time, he said. When they fall short, the Petersens go out to find affordable produce in bulk which they package and resell to residents at a very affordable price. It is the intention of the board of ‘The Green Finger Club’, the name of the garden, to extend it. Tornado Park residents Corrie Smit and Merlyn Cluttey are the other board members.
When they harvest, it is the Petersens who make up vegetable packages. Once ready, they invite the rest of the residents to purchase at R5 a packet, making it more affordable than what grocers have on offer.
“We want to make this a sustainable tool by which to feed residents here, but also a way in which Tornado Park can engage with its community.
“I’d like to open up the garden to the community, make the produce available to them at a slightly higher price, say, R7 a packet, a profit with which we can plough back into the project,” he said.
How you can get involved:
Petersen and the board invites the community at large to help them realise their dream of extending the garden project. The vision is to double the size of the garden and continue to plant in stages, thus making for a longer harvest period and larger availability. The produce harvested from the larger garden will be available to both Tornado Park residents and the community at large during special market days the Green Finger Club will organise.
Monetary donations as well of donations of shade cloth, gumpoles and other gardening material and equipment are most welcome. To get involved, contact Spencer on 082 770 6545.
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