The Garden of Eatin'
Charity founded by local restaurateur donates food-bearing plants to food pantry
By Eric Pacella |
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Vince Withers has a lot on his plate. Aside from owning and operating Cafe Bella (614's Best Taste selection from our September issue), he also spends his time and energy as director of the Giving Garden. The Garden envelops the restaurant's back patio, and since March, has produced more than 2,000 pounds of food that Withers has donated to more than 100 families through the SDA Choice Food Pantry in Olde Towne East, with the help of Americorps Vista member Sabra Howell.
The twist? The vast majority of food donated was in the form of living plants that were given to and cared for by those receiving aid from the Food Pantry. "Mescluns, head lettuce, basils, parsleys, broccolis, eggplants, sweet peppers, bush beans, pole beans, summer squash, zucchini squash, acorn squash," as well as tomatoes, all found their way into the hands of people in need, Withers said.
Withers' ethos is not one of saving the world through his food donation. He realizes that, while produce from the plants will help to assuage the hunger problem, the real purpose is to show an interest in another person's life: "I can give you a little bit of empowerment by showing you how to grow something . . . you can be in touch with your own food solution by engaging in these activities," he explained.
The interest is well-appreciated, said Howell, who directs the Food Pantry. The recipients "are all excited about it, you should hear the reports," she said. "They are all very, very happy to be able to grow their own food."
Photo: Vince Withers
Mozelle Booker is one of these recipients. A woman who "loves working in gardens," she received a few lettuce plants that she used to make salads and to dress up her tacos. She explained that it was plenty of food for her, but "my grandkids would come over and eat with me . . . I wanted another one but there's so many people, you have to share." She said that Howell is careful to make sure that everyone who wants a plant can get one, but ultimately, it is first-come, first-serve.
The process is cyclical: Withers plants seeds and allows them to grow for a few weeks, and donates them to the Pantry, saving new seeds to start the next round of plants. The growing method is also cyclical: a water reclamation system collects rainwater, which is stored in a large tub that contains small fish. The presence of the fish in the water raises the ammonia levels. The water is then run through a filter that turns the ammonia into valuable nitrogen, which benefits the vegetables, sort of like a natural fertilizer. Many of the plants are started hydroponically, with no soil. In this case, the water that is not absorbed by the roots is pumped back into the fish tank for another round.
Initially, Withers explained, the Giving Garden was a project that he undertook, paying for all supplies through Cafe Bella. Since that time, the Giving Garden has partnered with EarthTouch, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting a positive relationship with the Earth. This has allowed Withers to operate the Garden on a tax-free basis, as well as allowing contributors to claim on their taxes any donations that they make to the Garden. Regardless, Withers says, most of the support for the Giving Garden is provided by "egg and sandwich sales" from the restaurant, which, before nonprofit status was achieved, was "heavily taxed."
Still, non-monetary donations are not unheard of: "Sometimes people will come in and pay twenty bucks for their meal - and leave a bag of dirt on the back patio for a tip."
The Giving Garden
2593 N High St.
(614) 267-1998
www.myspace.com/cafebellacolumbus
Originally Published: October 1, 2009
