RUMC Garden Club raises vegetables for the food pantry

When you drive down Main Street in Roscoe, you can’t miss the large vegetable garden growing at the north end of the Roscoe Methodist Church. The RUMC Garden Club, est. 2016, is a group of community volunteers who gather to grow vegetables for those who may be less fortunate in our Stateline area. Thursday mornings throughout the growing season, the bulk of the ripened produce gets dropped off at the Old Stone Food Pantry in Rockton. People from across Roscoe, Rockton, South Beloit, and Shirland come to pick up food for the week. These local veterans, senior citizens, and single parents live on small, fixed incomes and rely on the pantry all year to sustain them. These garden-fresh veggies are a real treat for them.

The plants grown in the garden are started from seed then planted in May by the Garden Club volunteers. Raised beds and archways are complete with water hook-up for moisture. Plenty of sun and ample space allow for hundreds of plants to thrive. As fresh vegetables are picked each week, all extra tomatoes and such will be placed in their brand-new garden plant stand. If you see this stand out near the garden full of fresh veggies, stop and take home a ripe tomato or two. A donation box will be provided.

The Garden Club also raises funds throughout the year for the food pantry as well. On Saturday, May 27th, from 9am to 12pm, they will host their annual Plant Sale where you will find hundreds of perennials, annuals, succulents, and veggie plants grown by the Garden Club themselves. They will also be selling gently used garden items and tools, along with handmade garden stakes and craft items all donated by the RUMC Church family.

For more info, call the RUMC Garden Club at 815-289-1105 or Old Stone Food Pantry at 815-494-0938.

More about the garden:

Roscoe community gardens share their bounty

by Jean Seegers, Aug 27 2021