Augusta Park in Almonte is the place to be in July, especially this Wednesday at 6 pm when the Civitan Club puts on another of their great barbeques! Five Wednesdays in July has grown to be a Mississippi Mills signature event. It is still called Five Wednesdays even though there are only four this year! I agree that it’s a great logo but it can perhaps be a bit confusing in a year that only has four Wednesdays – I was talking to a new acquaintance on Sunday who said that she checked her calendar several times and was still confused!
This year features a stellar line-up of kind-hearted musicians that are all playing for free (donations cheerfully accepted) in this wonderful community park. The park is in the north-east quadrant of Almonte, bordered by Mercer and Maude Streets.
Five Wednesdays takes place from 6 to 8 pm and features music and food and lots of opportunities for social interaction. Come and tour the community vegetable garden. Our volunteers have been busy pulling weeds, hoeing and spreading straw and chips and are very happy to give a tour and to answer gardening questions.
Music in Augusta Park is for me a powerful demonstration of connections between food, gardening and community. Why does the sharing of food create a sense of community? This is something that I think is taken for granted as a constant in our society. Virtually every special occasion is built around food and drink.
What’s the connection between gardening and community? I am not proposing that we should all go out and grow our own food in a community garden. What I am saying is that the need for community is a pretty basic human need. There are many ways to connect with other humans and to build community. Growing food together in my experience creates community. Of course it is not the only way but it is a very powerful one.
