((PKG))  COMMUNITY GARDEN  
((TRT:  13:21))  
((Banner:  A Place to Grow))  
((Reporter/Camera:  Gabrielle Weiss)) 
((Map:  Washington, DC))  
((Main characters:  7 female;  7 male))   
((NATS))  
((Michael Minton, Chairman, Glover Park Community 
Garden Association))      
The Glover Park Community Garden Association started 
around 1939 and then it slowly grew to become a victory 
garden in 1942 when the US was at war.  And it became 
essential for the folks that lived in the area here to grow their 
own vegetables as they were not able to purchase these 
things in the grocery store at that time.  
((NATS))   
((Steve Stinnette, Gardener))  
We really want to respect the intent, the original intent of this 
garden which was a victory garden during World War II.  And 
we just think that's kind of amazing because it's almost we're 
using it that way again now with food shortages potentially at 
the grocery stores.  And we think it's exciting to carry on that 
tradition for the people that have been here before us and 
gotten through rough times and to see better days.  So, 
hopefully they're not looking down on us saying, ‘Oh God, 
what are you guys doing.’  
((NATS)) 
((Nancy Rowand, Gardener)) 
My fingernails have not been clean since early March 
probably.  They're the opposite of French nails.  I don't know 
what you would call them but they're, well, you'd call them 
dirty.  That’s all. 
((NATS))  
((Ernesto Vergara, Gardener)) 
I got a lot of vegetables, especially squash.  The biggest one 
that I harvested I think it was 42 pounds [19 kg].  I had to 
bring it home in a cart because it was so heavy, I couldn’t 
just carry it by myself. 
((NATS))  
((Charles Volkman, Gardener))   
I think, I think I'm the oldest gardener here, too, in age, 
heading for 90, the big one.  I'm still out here.  So, I guess 
the good Lord's looking after me a little bit.  Either that or 
he’s getting even with me. 
((Banner:   
The Glover Park Community Garden Association has 149 
garden plots and a long waiting list.   
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the garden has remained 
open.))   
((Michael Minton, Chairman, Glover Park Community 
Garden Associatiom))       
It seems like everyone wants to get back into the garden 
regardless of the virus and the situation that we have in front 
of us.  They all want to get back into the garden.  They want 
to garden.  They don't want to lose their gardens.  It's 
become more and more a valuable commodity both, you 
know, from a growing perspective of fresh vegetables and 
sustainability as it is emotional as well. 
((NATS))  
((Nancy Rowand, Gardener))  
For physical and mental benefits, I have really enjoyed 
coming to the garden.  I would not be very happy without the 
garden.  Coming here has helped me to manage the 
separation from my grandson.  This is my destination on a 
daily basis.  I don't think I've missed a day since COVID hit 
and since we've been self-quarantined.  And a lot of times 
I'm here twice a day. 
((NATS))  
((Steve Stinnette, Gardener))  
The timing's been interesting with the COVID-19 going on 
because this has really been our escape during this time.  
It's a great place to come and have fresh air, sunshine, get 
some exercise, digging and pushing the wheelbarrow 
around, at the same time having some connection with our 
neighbors and other people as well.  But we all have our 
social distancing with our little cages here.  25 by 25-foot 
cage [7.6 by 7.6 meters]. 
((NATS)) 
((Mike, Gardener)) 
Who needs a gym when you’ve got a baby? 
((Lauren, Gardener))   
We don't really care what we grow.  It’s just kind of fun 
experiencing it. 
((Mike, Gardener)) 
You know, maybe, grow some baby food, grow our own 
peas.  
((Lauren, Gardener)) 
Yeah.  
((Mike, Gardener)) 
Carrots, whatever it is you want to eat. 
((NATS)) 
((Rosanna Grimm, Gardener and Garden Inspection 
Volunteer)) 
And there’s onions all the way….. 
((Michael Minton, Chairman, Glover Park Community 
Garden Association))     
What are you planting in here? 
((Rosanna Grimm, Gardener and Garden Inspection 
Volunteer)) 
Green beans. 
((Rosanna Grimm, Gardener and Garden Inspection 
Volunteer))  
I will never buy another potato from the supermarket.  They 
all have to come from here because it 
just changes.  To taste the earth, to taste the richness of the 
soil in what you’re consuming, you can’t find that anywhere 
in a supermarket.  
((NATS)) 
((Veronica, Gardener)) 
You know, in a weird way, coming here kind of makes you 
escape and forget what's going on around you.  You know, 
this has definitely been one of the few options we have left to 
spend time outside of our home so, depending on how long 
this goes on, we'll continue to be out here so long as we 
can.  
((Ernesto Vergara, Gardener)) 
I haven't heard of anyone in the garden having caught 
the virus, thankfully.  
((NATS)) 
((Surya Banu, Gardener)) 
Yeah, I worry.  I worry.  I want that all sickness can go 
because this sickness is very difficult.  Nobody can go 
funeral.  Nobody can do nothing.  Nobody can come see the 
dead body.  It's so scary die.  This die.  I'm thinking myself.  
((NATS)) 
((Jutta Volkman, Gardener))  
You’re going to put some more tomatoes here in the 
bottom?  
((Charles Volkman, Gardener))   
Yeah, I’m going to put some zucchinis and whatever I’ve got 
left over, I’m going to stick in there.   You know, we went 
through lots of these things before.  The flus and the rabbit 
tularemia, rabbit fever, back in the 20s.  Man, I remember all 
kinds of disasters.  I'm not a doomsayer.  I figured, if it gets 
you, it gets you.  Enough of us survived to procreate, I 
guess.  But no, I don't get uptight about it.  I got my mask 
here.  In case I go to a store, I'll put it on 
because it’s….. Normally I wouldn't and as soon as this 
craziness ends, it’s going in the trash. 
((NATS)) 
((Larissa Hotra, Gardener)) 
Having a baby during the pandemic is strangely a bright spot 
for us because it allowed us to spend time together as a 
family quietly.  Do you disagree?  You don’t disagree, 
do you?  Get to know this little guy. 
((Chris Cox, Gardener)) 
It’s been great.  That's been our hobby.  That’s been our 
new skill, just learning to become parents during a 
pandemic.  
((NATS)) 
((Steve Stinnette, Gardener)) 
It doesn't get any fresher than this.  Someone was throwing 
this away at work and so I rescued this from the trash can. 
But it stuck out to me because it's an S and an A for Steve 
and Alvin.  That's our garden.  So, we'll put it right here.  Fits 
perfectly.  We both grew up as children with our hands in the 
dirt and my father had a garden and I've just always loved 
to plant and up until we had this.  We live in an 
urban area.  We have a balcony, but this is really the 
backyard we don't have in a lot of ways. 
((NATS)) 
((Alvin Crawley, Gardener)) 
It's a place of peace.  It's an opportunity to connect and 
reconnect with the earth and what life really should be about, 
and that is making sure that we're taking care of the earth 
and in turn, the earth will take care of us.  And I think, this is 
the evidence that if we put in a little bit of work, that that 
happens. 
((NATS)) 
((Charles Volkman, Gardener)) 
I'm a dirty guy.  I like to get my hands in the dirt.  They're just 
old Big Boy tomatoes, been growing them now for a 
long time.  So, I stick with them.  Better the devil you know, 
that's what I always say.  Oh, I’ve always liked farming and 
gardening and working in the soil and outdoors in the woods 
and hunting and fishing and chasing girls and drinking.  All 
the good stuff in life and the bad stuff.  
((NATS)) 
((Ernesto Vergara, Gardener)) 
My refrigerator is full to capacity.  As a matter of fact, when 
all this hoarding took place, I didn't have to hoard anything 
because I had been hoarding the year-round anyway.  So, I 
got this supply in my refrigerator which is probably good for 
about three more months. 
((NATS)) 
((Nancy Rowand, Gardener)) 
Would you like to come with me while I pull up a carrot, 
the first carrot?  OK.  The very first carrot.  My grandson 
worked with me the first two years.  He loved to hunt for 
worms but, of course, with COVID, he's not here this 
year.  So, I miss him.   
((NATS)) 
((Nancy Rowand, Gardener)) 
OK, you ready?  Here are some carrots.  Hey Drew, see 
them?  Three carrots, three carrots.  I'm on FaceTime 
with Drew, my grandson, every day, so he can see how 
things are growing.  Did you see how I made straw bale 
gardens since you're not here to play in the straw?  There is 
a little tomato and two Asian eggplants. 
((NATS)) 
((Veronica and Ella, Gardeners)) 
I've always loved nature and I wanted to teach Ella about 
nature and get to enjoy the, you know, fruits of your labor of 
working hard in the yard and growing things, so to get Ella 
interested.   
What did we grow last year?  What kinds of vegetables?   
Pumpkins.   
Pumpkins.  Not going to do that again. 
((NATS)) 
((Rosanna Grimm, Gardener and Garden Inspection 
Volunteer)) 
There’s no place, no place on earth that brings more peace, 
at least to me, than being here, right in here where I am.  
((NATS)) 
((Surya Banu, Gardener)) 
I love my garden.  I wanted to make it, 
enjoy it.  And vegetables, I give it to my friends.  Everybody, 
you know, whoever asks me, I give it to them.  And I enjoy 
that.  
((NATS)) 
((Larissa Hotra, Gardener)) 
I think he's really curious.  We're so excited.  We've been 
since the minute he was born.  We've been, you know, 
showing him the garden, showing him everything in the 
natural world as much as we can with social distancing.  I 
mean, one of the things we've really thought about with the 
pandemic, with the social unrest, all the injustices that are 
now finally coming to light in a more obvious way, is that he 
will be hopefully born into a world that's more equitable.  And 
so, I want him to have it as diverse a diet as possible.  So, I 
want him seeing people of different colors and 
different nationalities.  I want him eating different foods, the 
rainbow, the fruits and vegetables and all the healthy things 
so, I want this kiddo to grow up to always be open-
minded about the world around him.  
((NATS)) 
((Chris Cox, Gardener)) 
The garden is a great place to see the diversity that the 
world has to offer.  I mean, just in our little victory 
garden here, we have so many nationalities 
represented.  We have so many plant-species represented.  
Bird-species represented.  We have so much diversity 
here.  This is great.  Yeah, he’s not being raised in a sterile 
environment where it's only black and white.  There's so 
much, there's so much that's around here.  
((NATS)) 
((Steve Stinnette, Gardener)) 
We're definitely very aware of racial injustices in the world, 
the pandemic, of course.  We like to think we're making 
progress and we have, but we still have a long way to go.  
((NATS)) 
((Nancy Rowand, Gardener))  
I’m feeling hopeful for the future.  It is a time of big 
change.  And I'm glad to be alive and see the change.  
((NATS)) 
((Surya Banu, Gardener)) 
I don't worry anything when I come in the garden.  I working, 
working in the garden, so everything in my mind, out, you 
know.  In the home, we are sitting down, watching TV, 
watching something coming in, lot of thing in the mind.  But 
not in the garden, you know.  
((NATS)) 
((Charles Volkman, Gardener)) 
Oh, the night that Patty Murphy died, I never shall forget.  
We all got stinking drunk at night and some ain’t sober yet.   
Oh, the only thing we did that night to fill our hearts with 
fear,  
Was take the ice from off the corpse and put it in our beer,  
Boom, boom, boom, 
That's how we showed our respect for Patty Murphy.   
That's how we showed our honor and our pride….. 
Boom, boom, boom….. 
((Ernesto Vergara, Gardener)) 
It’s always a happy day.  I can’t say one day’s more happy 
than another one.  
((Rosanna Grimm, Gardener and Garden Inspection 
Volunteer)) 
It's a year to year, your expectations, you know, what’s going 
to happen this year?  But you prepare for the best and you 
go with nature.  What nature gives you, you take.  
((NATS)) 
((Steve Stinnette, Gardener)) 
There's nothing more hopeful than a seed, I think, because 
you look at this little tiny hard object and you can never 
imagine that that could have so much life in it.  And so, this 
is our, our place of hope and we get away from the craziness 
in the world here. 
((NATS)) 
((Charles Volkman, Gardener)) 
My days are numbered.  See how long I can hang in there.  I 
keep saying this is my last year, this is going be my last 
year, but it never is.  I keep one more good year.  So, I 
guess, if I'm still alive and moving, I'll be up here next year 
again.  See what happens. 
((NATS))