Spotlight On......
The Pinetops Community Garden!
The Pinetops Community Garden is the primary local mission project of Pinetops Presbyterian Church. It is designed to provide fresh vegetables for people in need. It is also designed to help children learn about the value of gardening. The teachers in the local schools will use the garden as a learning lab, and the employees at the Vidant Family Medical Clinic will use fresh vegetables from the garden to benefit some of their patients. Partners include: Pinetops Presbyterian Church, The Town of Pinetops, local resident Marshall Dunn, Vidant Hospital, Conetoe Family Life Center, Edgecombe County public schools, Edgecombe Community College, Down East Partnership for Children, Lowes of Tarboro, CuriosiTees, the Boy Scouts, and many local citizens who are helping to shape and sustain this garden project. In 2017, the garden yielded over 2,000 pounds of fresh produce. Currently, there are 8 rows of vegetables and fruit which were planted by children in local schools.
The Pinetops Community Garden program is the result of a private memorial donation given to the family of Ann and Vines Cobb. Ann Cobb was a singer, a music teacher, choir director, promoter of the arts, and an enthusiastic supporter of community endeavors. John Vines Cobb, Jr. was a long-time Pinetops banker, member of the Board of Education, member of the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners, and Mayor of Pinetops. He served as an elected official for 50 years. Ann and Vines served their church,
Pinetops Presbyterian, Pinetops and Edgecombe County. This garden is meant to honor their lifetime of community service.
Ann Warren: Pinetops Community Garden Administrator
"The Pinetops Community Garden is located behind the Pinetops Vidant Family Medical Clinic. The garden is available to help children and adults experience the value of gardening and enjoy fresh food. It is also a tool teachers in our local schools can use as a learning lab. The Pinetops garden is a community asset, a place for people to come together and work for the good of the community.
In past years there have been 24 rows of vegetables, herbs, blueberries, blackberries and flowers planted by the children in our local schools. Volunteers have harvested and maintained the garden, enjoyed vegetables with their families and shared vegetables with the Pinetops Vidant Family Medical Clinic and the community. The garden is for everyone who would like to help and get involved.
This week children have poured soda onto the corn they planted, weeded around them and picked blueberries and blackberries. They weighed and recorded how much they picked of each crop in a learning and growing experience.
We would like to invite the community to get more involved by joining the Community Garden workday, Mondays at 7:00 pm."
