Seeking help with building tomato supports
 Now we have loads of tomato plants and will soon need tomato supports for them to grow on. One of our challenges in
the vegetable gardens has been staking tomatoes. Most gardeners agree that wire tomato cages do not work. We need something that is attractive and easy
to use but have stuck with using donated wire cages because we could not
afford better. Thanks to donations
received in memory of Fred Pieper (see story below), we have enough money to buy the supplies to
make 20 of the supports pictured here. Now we are seeking the help of volunteers who are handy with wood, saws and drills to build these. We need to get them done before too long. Some of the cherry tomato plants we received are already three feet tall with baby tomatoes. |
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About Fred Pieper
Earlier this spring Fred Pieper passed away at the age of 94. I never Mr. Pieper. His daughter, Barb Blum sent me an email the night before his funeral telling me the family had requested that memorials be sent to Granny's Garden School.
"Mr. Pieper's whole life was
gardening. He grew up on a vegetable farm and when his dad passed away,
Fred at age 22 was the man of the house and responsible for the family
farm. The farm folded during the depression, shortly after he was in
charge. When he returned from the war, he got married and purchased a
house one block from the homestead on the previous family land he once
tilled! He lived there until his death at age 94. But through the
years he had 2 garden plots on that small Golf Manor land which produced
enough vegetables to make his family and friends self sufficient
in vegetables. Gardening was his life and love. Because the depression
took the farm, Fred NEVER SOLD another vegetable after that. If anyone
wanted something, he gave it to them. Barb felt Granny's Garden was a
way for others to learn to love to work the land." Bob Blum (Son-in-law)
The family asked that the donations be used to for something to do with vegetables.
In the last few weeks I have met many members of Mr.
Pieper's family and have learned much of his life story. As his grandson, Brent said in his eulogy, it
was a story worth telling.
I am honored to have the opportunity to play a part
in passing Mr. Pieper's passion on to the children we work with.
Roberta
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