GEORGETOWN, Mass. — The Aulson family invites volunteers, gardeners, town officials, and “any interested individuals” to join in this Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 a.m. to kickoff the process to restore the Community Gardens to their former splendor.
More than a decade-and-a-half ago, the gardens were full of active gardeners from Georgetown, Groveland, and neighboring towns. Under the watchful eye and patient guidance of volunteer garden steward Bob Means, the plots were assigned each year, and monitored for use. Back then, for a donation of $10 to the Conservation Commission, a family would be provided with a 30′ x 30′ plot in which vegetables and flowers were grown, and in some plots coexisted wtih kids toys, tiny shovels, Tonkaâ trucks, etc.
After seemingly countless years of neglect, the area has fallen upon bad times, with more than 50 abandoned plots, strewn with deteriorating metal fencing, metal posts, old tools, chairs, hoses, wire cages, and more, most obscured by vines and overgrowth, including in places 8′ tall sumac trees.
The Aulson family, which owns Great Rock Farm in town, and Goats-to-Go, approached both the Board of Selectmen and the Conservation Commission with a plan to have the goats remove the bulk of the overgrowth, which would then allow access to and removal of the metal and other debris.
In less than two weeks, the goats devoured bittersweet and other vines, tall grasses, and small trees in some areas of the garden.
The area is now ready for folks to show up with gloved hands and help remove debris from certain areas of the gardens (see accompanying story).
“We’ll have water, tools, clear bags, some volunteers with metal detectors, a port-a-potty, basically what we need to clean up the area,” Alan Aulson explained. “It would be to have a good showing and it should be a fast cleanup with such high interest that the project has received. It’s nice when a community comes together, to help others. I really hope to see seniors and neighbors return to the gardens.” ♦
