They’re not afraid to get dirty at the Riverhead Senior and Human Resource Center in Aquebogue.
Fred Johnson and Ralph Udell have been digging in the dirt for most of their lives and now they’re sharing their love of gardening with other seniors.
“I like to see things grow,” Johnson said Wednesday morning, as he prepared flats with growing medium for planting. A retired Grumman employee, Johnson has always had an interest in farming. “I took horticulture when I was in high school. Everybody laughed and said, ‘You ain’t got no farm.’ That ain’t nothing. I just like to see things grow,” he said.
It may be a little early to start planting, but Johnson and Udell have an advantage. In February, the Riverhead Senior Center received a grow lab through a New York State Department of Health grant, Creating Healthy Places in Suffolk County. Administered by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Family Health and Wellness department, the program addresses the increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes.
The grow lab is a stacked-shelf unit, fitted with lamps and a plastic cover to incubate the seeds. The light and warmth allow the seniors to start the seedlings indoors and then transplant them once outdoor tempatures have warmed.
Udell grew up on a farm in the heart of Center Moriches where his family raised livestock, hunted and fished. He’s been a part of the CCE program since its inception two years ago.
Why does he keep planting, watering and weeding?
“It’s keeping me out of trouble,” Udell said, “Keeping me from becoming a couch potato.”
With guidance from CCE program educator Elizabeth Takakjian, the men are growing parsley, scallions and cabbage. On Wednesday, they started tomatoes and mesclun. Johnson likes to grow, “things we eat at the house.”
The program has evolved since its first year when they grew a few plants in little buckets. In the second year, they utilized boxes along a half wall outside the senior center lounge to grow string beans and mini canteloupe. Behind the senior center are grow bags filled with soil where participants planted herbs, beans and other vegetables.
The gardens are tended and harvested by seniors. Udell and Johnson bring the harvest to the tables inside and share with their peers. They get a little help from a friend, Bicycle Bob.
“He loved the herbs,” Udell said. Staff at the senior center said that Bicycle Bob lives nearby and rides his bike to the center on weekends, when they are closed, to water the plants.
“That’s a big help,” Johnson said.
Takakjian faciliated the installation of the grow lab so seniors can garden longer throughout the year, not just in the summer. This year, the Senior Center has agreed to install a permanent garden bed out back.
“We thought about this years ago and just never had the opportunity so it was really great when Elizabeth came along,” said Judy Doll, the Riverhead senior citizens program director. The town’s building and grounds department will build the raised bed.
“It’s evolving,” Takakjian said, “People are generous to the program.”
CCE also brings tastings to the senior center. Last year, 30 to 40 people participated in a tomato tasting.
“That was fun. A lot of people liked that,” said senior center manager Debbie Schwarz.
The grow bags are already sprouting onions from last season and the perennial herbs are peeking out of the soil. Udell and Johnson are looking forward to another fruitful season.
“It’s enjoyable,” Udell said, “All the fruits and vegetables are definitely good for you.”
Johnson has diabetes and the garden gets him talking to others about the disease. He furthers the agenda of the program, which is to address the importance of good health, and has discovered an added benefit; the fostering of community. And of course, he also gets fresh, delicious produce.
“Nothing tastes any better than something from your garden,” said Takakjian.
Johnson agreed, “The effort you put in is what makes it taste better.”
Photo captions, from top: (1) Fred Johnson, left, plants seeds with Elizabeth Takakjian and Ralph Udell on Wednesday; (2) Takakjian, Udell and Johnson at work; (3) seed flat; (4) Outside the senior center, from left, Udell, senior center manager Debra Schwarz, Johnson, senior citizens program director Judy Doll and Takakjian.
RiverheadLOCAL photo by Laurie Nigro.
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