First Presbyterian invites harvesters for church garden

Residents are welcome to join committee members and volunteers of the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown’s Mustard Seed Cooperative Garden for the 2025 growing season.

Now through the end of August, those interested in helping to harvest can show up to the garden on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. to pick produce and store it in the church kitchen. The produce grows through October.

“It’s beautiful and it’s peaceful,” said Leslie Spencer, coordinator for the Mustard Seed Cooperative Garden Committee, of the space. “We have a couple of benches in the garden precisely for the thought that people sometimes may just want to come in and sit in the garden because it’s a peaceful and pretty place. We’ve really tried to be thoughtful about the aesthetics of the garden and making it a lovely place.”

The garden is now in its third season. The first seasonal planting typically happens at the end of April and again in the summer. Lettuce, kale, snow peas and other produce that can be planted in cooler temperatures are planted in the spring, and produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, green beans and peppers are planted in the summer.

The garden also grows flowers and herbs. Last year, the committee harvested more than 650 pounds of produce that was delivered to the church’s two recipient organizations: the Moorestown Ministerium Food Pantry and Our Lady of Good Counsel’s meal delivery program.

The committee also shares the garden’s produce through a “blessing box” on church property. Since it’s in a sunny spot, the produce is placed in a cooler under the box. Produce is placed there on Sunday mornings, every other Monday morning and possibly other days when the harvest is large. Residents are welcome to donate vegetables from their garden to the cooler.

To volunteer or for more information on the garden, visit www.fpcmoorestown.org/mustard-seed-garden/.