Gideon’s Garden is a youth-operated farm that began in 2008 when some young people from Grace Church imagined how they would like to help people in our community who are hungry. With the encouragement and help of friends at Grace, the first seeds were planted in the spring of 2009. Taft Farms donated a small plot of land and shared their equipment and expertise with the young people and began growing vegetables. With the time and energy given by Grace, Taft, and the community, the Garden itself began to grow. From what was originally just a quarter-acre garden is now a robust 2-acre farm with a butterfly house, delivery van, a propagation house, and a hearty flock of chickens.

Since its inception, Gideon’s Garden has been dedicated to being a place of learning, growth, and nourishment. Food from the Garden can be found in food pantries across the Southern Berkshires and is sustained by the hands of students and volunteers alike. Every summer, the Garden runs a 10-week paid internship program for middle school students as well as working closely with Taft Farms own fellowship program. These programs are at the heart of
Gideon’s Garden and is a place where young people can grow and nourish themselves alongside the plants they tend throughout the season. During the extended growing season, Gideon’s also maintains a reliable and friendly crew
of adult volunteers that anyone from the community may join during our regular
volunteer hours.

We look forward to this coming season and future seasons as we watch the plants, the youth, and our garden grow!