Palmyra’s recent efforts to build growing spaces that increase local food security and offer free fresh crops directly to residents have flourished over the past five years with two community gardens producing organic produce.
“The tomatoes are in season now,” said Mayor Gina Ragomo Tait, while standing in the town’s garden behind Borough Hall. “Anyone can come down here and get peppers, basil, tomatoes, parsley and rosemary.”
She is looking forward to October, when Charles Street School third graders will plant garlic during a field trip to the garden and then return in the spring to harvest the garlic, which is a “winter crop.”
The garlic planting project is part of an environmental education effort to connect students with the natural world and teach them where food comes from, said Mayor Tait, adding that garlic is a hardy crop that grows slowly over winter and is a great, hands-on science lesson for the class.
The Palmyra Borough Community Garden was built in 2024 under the supervision of the town’s Tree Officer, Tom Ewing, and when the students visit he talks to them about soil health, composting and the role plants play in supporting the environment while encouraging them to continue learning about gardening and sustainability.
With the help of a $14,383 USDA grant, the garden was created to expand Palmyra’s organic gardening initiative and features eight raised beds on land between the community center and town hall.
The mayor said one of the main goals is to teach school children how to grow food and provide a hands-on harvest experience. The garden is pesticide-free and organic, as is the Palmyra Community Garden next to the Palmyra Cove Nature Center that was built in 2021 in a partnership between the borough and the Burlington County Bridge Commission.
The garden is free and open to the public for education, providing residents with free, fresh, sustainable produce and donates surplus harvest to local charities and food banks. It is managed collectively by volunteers.
When the garden, close to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, opened, Mayor Tait had said it would become a “true community space. Not only will we be growing fresh good foods, but also stronger community ties.”
Unlike many community gardens that rent or designate specific plots to individuals or families to grow their own plants and foods, the Palmyra Cove site, as well as the borough’s garden, are completely free and open to all residents.
The advantages to using locally grown fresh produce are numerous, as it tastes better and has higher nutrient levels than processed frozen and canned vegetables. Also, at the Palmyra gardens, residents can pick their produce for the dinner table at peak ripeness as the vegetables and spices mature naturally on the plant instead of being picked early to survive transport from long distances.
Vitamins and antioxidants start to fade fast after harvesting. Using local produce, those nutrients do not have a chance to degrade and the natural sugars and fresh aromas stay strong, making the healthy food taste better.
Mayor Tait is thrilled by the success of the two community gardens that will continue to provide people with free fresh food for many years, including the world famous Jersey tomatoes that grow in the fertile Garden State soil.
More importantly, the town’s two gardens help with the overall efforts of the governing body and local churches to make sure that no child goes hungry in the borough of Palmyra.
