St. Christopher's Crops

Volunteer in the Garden

The garden is growing! The produce it will generate is needed more than ever this year. It’s time to begin routine care. A sign-up for those who want to participate has been established so that we volunteer safely. Please take a look at the sign up genius for a clear picture of your options. Singles, families, all varieties of households can participate. If children age 12 or younger are helping, you will have a time slot exclusively for your family. No more than two households will work during a given time and there are options for one- and two-hour time slots. A St. Christopher's Crops Board member will always be present for support.

Volunteer in the Garden

Volunteer Instructions

History of St. Christopher's Crops

St. Christopher’s Crops is now in its fourteenth year of providing fresh vegetables to local food pantries. In 2007, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, The Rev. Stephen Fales challenged the congregation to take on a significant outreach project to give back to our community. The project selected was a feeding ministry called St. Christopher’s Crops. It is a large vegetable garden from which all produce is given to local food pantries. The garden was first planted in the footprint where we would one day build our sanctuary. Rows of beans and tomatoes outlined where pews would sit and a large flower garden occupied the space where the altar would stand. At the end of the 2008 garden season, we broke ground for the new sanctuary and moved the garden to its current location to the east of the sanctuary and memorial garden.

Each year the garden team begins planning the garden during the winter, using feedback from the food pantries on how different vegetables were received by their clients. In April volunteers from the congregation and students at the Carmel United Methodist Preschool plant seeds indoors under grow lights to start the plants we will use in the garden. Early in May a workday is planned to prepare the beds for planting and mid-May we bless and plant the garden. One of the wonderful things about the garden ministry is the wide diversity of people involved. Volunteers of all ages and all levels of gardening experience come together to share experience; learn from one another; and share a laugh or a concern in a beautiful, peaceful setting. We are growing a community as well as vegetables.

Interested in knowing more about St. Christopher's Crops? Contact Ed Russell | Email

Feeding Ministry Partners

Each growing season, we provide produce from our garden to food pantries and food partners in Hamilton and Marion Counties, including: Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank; Carmel Friends Church; Carmel United Methodist Church Food Bank; Open Door Pantry ; Merciful HELP Center' St. Louis de Monfort; St. Vincent de Paul Center; The Summer Lunch Program