Nashville,TN ( TN Tribune)– The Terrance Murray Memorial Edgehill Community Garden will mark the arrival of spring with their annual Blessing Ceremony, on Thursday, April 8, at 10:00AM.
The ceremony will be held at the garden, located on the South side of Horton Avenue, between 12th Avenue South and 14th Avenue South. The event is open to the public. This year, for the first time, the blessing ceremony will held in coordination with a national organization, Interfaith Power and Light, a faith-based non-profit whose work centers around climate change awareness, education and action. This year’s theme is “Sacred Ground, Cultivating Connections: Faith, Food, and Climate”.
The Edgehill Community Garden, founded in 1991, is a pioneer in urban agriculture in Nashville. It was originally established by the Edgehill Apartments Residents’ Association, with the assistance of noted clergy and activists J. Richard “Dick” Allison and William “Bill” Barnes. Residents’ Association President Brenda Morrow has served as a leader of the Edgehill Community Garden, which is now under the non-profit umbrella of Organized Neighbors of Edgehill, for thirty years. Possibly the oldest community garden in Nashville, and one of the largest, it is centrally located in the heart of the historically-Black Edgehill neighborhood. It provides a platform for residents to learn about gardening and nutrition as they grow their own healthy food. The garden regularly partners with local organizations, and hosts educational and service programs for youth from around the country. Garden plots are available free of charge for Edgehill residents. During a typical year, the garden is home to roughly thirty five gardeners. In addition to the individual vegetable and herb plots, the garden is home to a fruit tree orchard and grape arbor.
The Terrance Murray Memorial Edgehill Community Garden is part of a larger greenspace that includes a neighborhood park, the former Murrell elementary school, and the historic former homesite of famed African-American sculptor William Edmondson. Collectively the site is known as the William Edmondson Homesite, Park and Gardens. In 2018, neighborhood activists saved the Metro-owned property from the imminent threat of sale to developers by the city. The activists, including Ms. Morrow, then formed the Friends of the William Edmondson Homesite Park and Gardens, a non-profit whose mission is to preserve, protect, and enhance the beloved site. In 2019, after holding a series of community meetings, the group announced a “Higher Vision Master Plan”, which they describe as an aspirational roadmap for future improvements in the park, including historical interpretive displays and the William Edmondson Cultural Arts Center, Museum and Library.
