The Saturday that I visited The Giving Garden dozens of volunteers, kindergarteners to retirees, worked side-by-side picking produce and pulling weeds for a greater cause.  Or as, Trish, one of the volunteers said, “Our mission is to feed people and we’re gonna’!” All the pickers and pluckers are not from FFUMC.  Some are neighbors, others come from Page High School, Williamson County Master Gardeners, Holy Family Catholic Church and City Service Mission just to name a few of the organizations who play a role in growing 40,000 pounds of vegetables each year.    

 One volunteer in particular, Lynn Wallace, who Sarah called a “God send,” has greatly impacted The Giving Garden.   As mentioned, the garden began as a pumpkin patch and was the brain child of Michael Jones.  Michael, the son of an extension agent, was the passionate driver of the growing work for several years.  When Michael became ill and could no longer lead the charge, there were concerns about next steps, sustainability and direction.  

 Who shows up in Franklin, from Louisiana, to marry his childhood sweetheart?  Lynn Wallace.  Lynn just happens to have enjoyed a long career of teaching organic and sustainable farming practices all over the world.  As Albert Einstein said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”  

 There is so much more to this story, like the partnership with Franklin Farmer’s Market to find plates for unpurchased produce, the weekly potlucks for partners and volunteers, the gardening classes and the cooking classes.  There’s Rita Venable, author of Butterflies of Tennessee, who is hands-on making sure the right plants are in the right place.  Oh, and on the other side of the zinnias, Cynthia Wallace, Lynn’s wife and childhood sweetheart, is building God’s Little Acre, a space designed to teach children about nutrition and sustainable gardening.  

 It seems to me that lots of folks are being fed, in lots of ways, by that patch of land on the edge of Downtown Franklin.

 If you are interested in learning more about The Giving Garden and/or volunteering go to https://franklinfumc.org/serve/local-outreach/the-giving-garden/