Blueberry Patch

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How this Started…

St. Joseph Garden Ministry developed in response to a 2022 county-wide survey organized by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown that indicated food insecurity as a top need in Mahoning County. St. Joseph has a significant amount of unused, tillable land and many parishioners with gardening experience. A principal goal of this ministry is to grow healthy, organic food that we can distribute to organizations that serve food-insecure populations in our local area.

More Information

Adopt a Blueberry Bush

Parishioners and friends are invited to adopt one or more blueberry bushes! Here’s how it works:

  1. Call the parish office, 330-792-1919, to sign up to adopt your berry bush or bushes.
  2. Participate in a brief orientation in the blueberry patch.
  3. Commit to care for and harvest from your berry bush(es) for one season (spring to fall). Care includes keeping grass and weeds away from the bush(es) only as far as the bush branches extend. You can use a weed wacker, a small mower, or your bare hands to do this. (No chemicals, please! Our berry patch is organic.)
  4. Take your berries home to enjoy and/or donate your berries to charity

You can take all of your berries home.

You can take some of your berries home and donate some.

You can donate all of your berries

The choice is completely your choice. We’re just glad you’re caring for our berry patch and getting involved!

Walk the Garden

We welcome all parishioners of all ages to walk on the paths between the berry bushes as often as you’d like. It’s our garden. Enjoy it!

Pray in the Garden

The garden is also a spiritual opportunity. Walking the paths of the garden can be a meditative experience. Being aware that you are in the midst of a diverse and abundant living environment can offer unique insights into the life of God among us. We invite everyone to use the garden as an opportunity for spiritual practice whether you are tending the plants or just strolling the paths.

For more Information…

Enjoy a Few Photos of our Work

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