It was a warm Saturday morning, and people were out in full force at the Salvation Army Broomfield Corps community garden at 1080 Birch Street in Broomfield. The expansive garden needed a lot of work, and the new volunteers from Broomfield FISH were on their hands and knees pulling weeds, yet they each had a smile on their face.
The Salvation Army Broomfield Corps moved into the property and established the Broomfield Corps in 1998. True to their mission, “To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination,” they turned a section of the oversized lot into a garden in 2009, as feeding the hungry is a vital part of their mission. But with all the other demands of running a church, including a recent renovation of the gym and community center, Captain Miguel Morales, Corps Officer, realized that the garden wasn’t getting the attention it needed.
Fortunately, last summer, Captain Morales was introduced to the great people at Broomfield FISH, and a garden-to-pantry relationship was born. Their similar mission, “To meet our neighbors’ basic human needs and provide them with hope and tools to rise out of poverty,” made the partnership a natural fit.
“It started small, with FISH offering to manage a third of the garden last fall. They have done a great job, with some of the crops already distributed to the community through their food bank,” says Captain Morales, who was ordained nine years ago in California and transferred to Broomfield in 2023. “It’s been wonderful to see the garden so productive. Our garden coordinator, Butter Wylde, has done an impressive job.”
Butter has fully embraced the gardens at FISH headquarters, at 6 Garden Center, and at the Salvation Army.. “After years working as a forager and food writer, I wanted to make a difference closer to home, which led me to the very different world of community gardening,” explains Butter, who got the gardening bug from her father who grew up on a farm. As a master gardener in her own right, her green thumb is evident when you tour the sites, thanks in no small part to the small army of volunteers on her team.
June, a long-time volunteer, has personally experienced food scarcity, so when she found out about the garden nearby, she didn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty. “Working the soil and seeing the plants grow is rewarding. I especially like coming here early in the morning when I have the garden to myself. It’s very peaceful.”
“I moved to Broomfield from Virginia. I figured I could meet some people with similar interests if I volunteered,” explains Julia Franklin. “Then I heard about FISH and the garden at the Salvation Army. My sister is a single mother back in Virginia, and she relies on a local foodbank to make ends meet. By working in the garden, maybe I can help somebody’s sister here in Broomfield.”
Dayna Scott is the executive director of Broomfield FISH, and she is excited about their partnership with the Salvation Army. “Last year we put in thirteen raised beds at our facility and then started farming some of the beds at the Salvation Army location. It has been such a good experience that we were happy to take on another fifteen when Captain Morales asked us,” she beams. “We greatly appreciate the garden space that the Salvation Army has provided for us to farm.”
Can sixty garden beds really make an impact on the hunger needs of a community as large as Broomfield? Most definitely. The fresh locally grown produce adds to the available food in their pantry. Younger volunteers, many of whom have never worked in a garden, learn firsthand how food is grown. Plus, the wide variety of plants benefits our bees, butterflies, and moths, whose habitats are being diminished by development.
“The community building part of the garden is invaluable,” Dayna adds. “Working towards a common goal alongside people of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels enables volunteers to see each other as neighbors, not just, ‘those people who need free food.’”
Butter agrees. “The garden has so much potential as a community hub, but we need to expand sustainably, with care for our soil, water, and volunteers, keeping everything in balance.”
One creative way to welcome more volunteers, and generate solutions to those challenges, is the Adopt-A-Bed program that FISH and the Salvation Army put together. “Businesses, groups, or families can sign up to nurture a 4’ x 6’ garden plot. It’s a fun and satisfying way to make an impact. We’d love to have 32 of the plots adopted before the spring planting season so we can boost the amount of high-quality fresh produce we can provide for our neighbors,” says Butter.
Besides volunteering, what are some other ways people can help?
“People can bring in excess bounty from their own gardens or fruit trees,” says Dayna. “And just becoming more aware of the needs of the community is a great start.”
The Salvation Army Broomfield Corps and Broomfield FISH are dedicated to their missions of meeting the needs of the community. In fact, FISH helped more than 15,000 unduplicated neighbors with food needs last year, double what they did just five years ago. The gardens help to feed the most vulnerable in the city, yet they are more than that.
“Everyone who shares in the garden has something to give, and also something to gain,” Butter concludes. “In the garden, it’s clear that we only accomplish our goals as a team.”