We are very pleased to report that The Westbrook Foundation approved our 2026 spring cycle grant request.  The mission of the Westbrook Foundation is to help meet the medical, educational, social welfare, cultural, recreational, and civic needs of the citizens of the town of Westbrook.

The requested funds will provide several immediate and longer-term benefits:

• The garden irrigation system is critical to the productivity of the crops. The system is aging and will require inspection and maintenance by a qualified contractor. Drip tubes will be inspected for possible replacement.

• The addition of individual bed shut-off valves will conserve water. Currently, when the irrigation system is turned on in May, all beds are watered whether there are plants needing water or not.

• Removal of garden waste from existing concrete compost area. This area is for disposal of weeds and insect or disease damaged plants which has accumulated over the last few years. This will require a contractor with backhoe equipment.

• Jang JP-1 Seeder Starter Kit & N-6 seed roller - Purchase of a row seeder with multiple rollers offers several advantages. Seeding 30-foot rows of small seeds can be done in minutes at recommended spacing, versus volunteers seeding manually by hand. More efficient seeding enables us to do more succession planting, which translates into more produce for the Food Pantry. We expect the seeder to provide many years of benefit.

• Quick-Plant Fabric Weed Barrier - Weed barrier, also known as black plastic mulch, serves two purposes.  As the name suggests, it virtually eliminates weeds in several of our warm-season crop beds, improving growing conditions and reducing manual weed pulling. The mulch also benefits the summer crops by warming the soil in the spring and reducing water evaporation.

• Agribon+ AG-15 - Insect Barrier material is critical to healthy plant and fruit development. We time the application of the netting ahead of the emergence of insect pests. The material also reduces or eliminates the need for pesticides.

• The request will also cover refurbishment of four 4’ by 8’ raised beds. These wood-sided beds have served their purpose for many years but now need replacement. The cedar beds with concrete corners will be easy to construct and should last close to 7 years. Cedar is recommended for food safety and rot resistance. The placement of galvanized hardware cloth at the base will prevent moles from damaging the crops.

• Materials to build a 3-bin Compost Bin within the garden will not only provide compost valuable to plant health, but also teach conservation techniques to volunteers and visitors.