an official website of the
COUNTY OF UNION, NEW JERSEY

Jewish Family Services

Elizabeth

Growing Through Service: August in the Garden

August was a busy month at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden! We welcomed new volunteers, continued harvesting fresh produce for the JFS food pantry, and wrapped up our summer activities with Backyard Camp.

One of the highlights of the month was welcoming a group of about 20 Diller Teen Fellows visiting from Israel. They joined our interns in the garden for a morning of service, lending a hand with garden maintenance and helping us care for our growing space.

We also welcomed community volunteers who helped with weeding, harvesting, and keeping the garden looking its best. August marked the final week of Backyard Camp as well, bringing our summer activities with the campers to a close after weeks of learning, exploring, and getting their hands in the garden.

Between volunteers, interns, campers, and plenty of summer harvesting, August was another month that showed just how many hands can help a garden and a community grow.

Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
Photo of volunteers at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.

Jewish Family Services

Elizabeth

Our July was packed with new activities, volunteers, and harvests! Various community volunteers have been coming in to help with weeding and harvesting, accomplishing tons of work that helped greatly contribute to the appearance of the garden. This July, we also had a new group, the ‘Backyard Camp’, visiting the garden each week. Our interns organized various interactive and educational activities to complete with the young campers, including a huge ladybug population being released to help naturally fight off some aphids invading our pepper plants, recycled wooden flowerpot painting, and a tour of the food pantry as they helped us harvest many fruits and vegetables each week. This month, we also had one of the largest harvests the garden has ever had: bell peppers, beets, basil, spring onions, poblano peppers, cucumbers, cayenne peppers, eggplant, a variety of lettuce, and tons of cherry tomato, allowing recipients of the food pantry to enjoy tons of fresh produce!

The ‘Diller Teen Fellowship’ also came in July, marking one of our most productive days. The group of teenagers worked alongside our interns to complete a significant amount of work in the garden including re-organizing our hose shed, restoring our picnic area, weeding the entire front of the garden, and harvesting. They were a lovely group to work with, and our interns cannot emphasize enough how wonderful they were. The final harvest of the month included beets, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, Redleaf & Oakleaf lettuce, eggplant, basil, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers.

Jewish Family Services

Elizabeth

Growing Through Service: August in the Garden

August was a busy month at the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden! We welcomed new volunteers, continued harvesting fresh produce for the JFS food pantry, and wrapped up our summer activities with Backyard Camp.

One of the highlights of the month was welcoming a group of about 20 Diller Teen Fellows visiting from Israel. They joined our interns in the garden for a morning of service, lending a hand with garden maintenance and helping us care for our growing space.

We also welcomed community volunteers who helped with weeding, harvesting, and keeping the garden looking its best. August marked the final week of Backyard Camp as well, bringing our summer activities with the campers to a close after weeks of learning, exploring, and getting their hands in the garden.

Between volunteers, interns, campers, and plenty of summer harvesting, August was another month that showed just how many hands can help a garden and a community grow.

A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.
A photo of volunteers in the Zimmerman Urban Community Garden.

Clark Preschool Program

Clark

Harvest is coming!

The garden here at the Clark Preschool is in full bloom!  We are beginning to harvest tomatoes and peppers!  We are so excited for our preschools to see the progress once they return from summer break!

Elmora School No. 12

Elizabeth

Summer at Elmora 12 Eagles Garden

We are super excited about everything our garden is giving back to us and the surprise volunteer seeds that are sprouting.

Close up image of borage plant with bright bluish and pinkish hued star shaped flowers
close up image of a blooming radish plant. Rich magenta petals that fade to white centers with yellow stamens
close up image of vibrant coreopsis flower blossoms, bright-yellow petals with a deep burgundy textured center
Close up image of vibrant bachelor's button flowers. Fringed royal blue papery petals that fade to a purplish center
School No. 12 students gathered for a tree planting demonstration from Groundworks Elizabeth
Picture of School No. 12 students in their outdoor garden
Image of green striped zucchinis growing in the garden
Lady in a green t-shirt holding up a green striped zucchini
Image of the raised garden beds inside the School No. 12 garden
Image of freshly harvested yellow potatoes in the garden
strawberry plant growing in the garden
Blooming gladiolus flower plant
Freshly picked ears of corn
large round cantaloupes growing in the garden
close up image of a poppy flower

From eggplants, peaches, tomatoes, melons, zucchinis, potatoes, and pumpkins…

We are thrilled!!! We also have new recycled fence painted by students.

School No. 12 female student standing behind wooden pink fence
School No. 12 male student holding a green drill to drive a screw into the wooden pink fence

Prevention Links

Elizabeth

Elizabethport Community Center Garden – July 2026

During the month of July, our Community Garden continued to grow and thrive thanks to the consistent involvement and dedication of community members. We are excited to report that the garden has already produced its first harvests, and our new apple tree has begun producing fruit—a wonderful sign of the progress and care invested in the garden.

The garden has experienced abundant growth throughout the month, providing community members with opportunities to participate in hands-on gardening, learn about growing fresh produce, and contribute to the maintenance of a shared community space.

Image of the Elizabethport Community outdoor garden
image of green tomatoes growing on the vine in the outdoor garden
Large pumpkin peeking out of the vines in the garden
A variety of vegetable plants growing in the outdoor garden
green tomatoes growing on the vine
Image of mature onion plants growing in the garden beds
up close photo of green tomatoes growing on the vine
picture of Elizabethport Community Center garden

A particularly important part of the garden’s success has been the continued involvement of our senior participants and residents from the nearby senior housing community. Their regular participation in watering, planting, maintaining, and caring for the garden has helped create a strong sense of ownership and connection to the space.

Beyond growing fruits and vegetables, the Community Garden continues to serve as a space that promotes community engagement, intergenerational connection, physical activity, and access to fresh produce.

We are grateful to all of the community members who dedicate their time and effort to caring for the garden and look forward to continuing to build on this progress throughout the remainder of the growing season.

Donald Stewart Early Childhood Center No. 51

Elizabeth

Summer Garden Update: Growing, Learning, and Caring Together

Our school garden has been thriving all summer thanks to the dedication of our Summer Program preschool students and teachers, who have been taking turns watering, weeding, and caring for the plants during the hot summer months.

The children have enjoyed observing the garden’s growth and learning the importance of nurturing living things. With guidance from our Eco-School members, students have also been learning proper garden care techniques, including trimming lower leaves to improve air circulation and help prevent plant diseases. We are so proud of their hard work and commitment to keeping our garden healthy and growing!

School No. 51 student holding a large green tomato growing on the vine
School No. 51 student holding a red-orange tomato in her hand.
Photo of teacher and students tending to the raised garden bed at School No. 51

Morris Union Jointure Commission – Developmental Learning Center

New Providence

Apple Tree

Our students had a fantastic time in science group today exploring how apple trees grow. After learning all about them, they put their creativity to work and crafted their very own apple trees! To wrap up the lesson, the class took a trip outside to visit the actual apple tree we planted together this past spring.

It’s so exciting watching our tree grow! 🍏

Developmental Learning Center students posing with their art projects while standing next to the apple tree they planted this past spring.
Developmental Learning Center students watching an educational video on apples
Developmental Learning Center students working on their art tree project

JVJ Academy

Elizabeth

August 2026

Images of pumpkins, tomatoes, fig tree growth, etc.

photo of thriving garden, including pumpkin vines to the left, and sunflower plants to the right
Photo of small, ripe tomatoes growing on a vine inside a dense garden plant
image of overgrown garden bed
pht of garden blooming on the side of the school building

School No. 1

Linden

🍆🫑 We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, eggplant, basil, zucchini, peppers, and other things at our School No. 1 garden. We are pleased to share some pictures that show how our garden is growing.