City of Milford, Department of Recreation

BENSON-CRUMP MEMORIAL COMMUNITY GARDENS

AUTUMN GARLIC FESTIVAL

ATTENTION ALL GARLIC LOVERS !!

The Milford Recreation Department's Benson-Crump Memorial Community Gardens Program

is holding its annual Autumn Garlic Festival Fund Raiser in the Gazebo on the Milford Green

in downtown Milford on Saturday, September 28^th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

The rain date is Sunday, September 29^th.

It has been a good year for garlic and four delicious organic varieties which include Music, German Hardy, Siberian, and Elephant will be available for sale. Garlic enthusiasts will also love the large recipe section which contains over 35 delicious and free garlic recipes. Also on hand, are garlic experts available to answer all your questions on growing garlic organically and what varieties do best in this region. Back by popular demand is the Huge Gourmet Basket Drawing which includes ten beautiful themed baskets such as Family Movie Night, Wine Lovers, Death by Chocolate, Italian Pasta Delight, Tail Gate Party, Autumn Gardening, Everything Garlic, Spa & Relaxation, Breakfast for Two, All About Candles and a lovely Bee Keepers Honey Basket. Seasonal vegetables donated by Mary Treat Farm in Milford and Shamrock Farm in Orange will be for sale along with brightly bundled autumn corn stalks and so much more.

All proceeds from the fund raiser event will benefit the Benson-Crump Memorial Community Gardens Program which is a practicing organic community garden in its 45^th year of operation. It encompasses 135 plots and over 250 participants including several local community groups. It is the oldest community garden in southern Connecticut and has been an active supporter of Connecticut's PAR (Plant a Row for the Hungry) Program for the past seven years, which works in conjunction with the Connecticut Food Bank. The Benson-Crump Community Gardens Program maintains two active PAR plots on site with the help of very dedicated community gardener volunteers. Each year the Benson-Crump Program donates an average of 1,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to several local food pantries and charities which include St. Gabe's Church, Milford Christian Academy, Home For the Brave, Milford Senior Center, Beth-El Shelter, Grace Baptist Church, and new to our list this year, the Casa Otonal Community Center.

Individual monetary donations can be made out to the Milford Recreation Department with Benson-Crump Community Gardens Donation written on the check memo, and mailed to the Milford Recreation Department at 70 West River Street in Milford, Connecticut, 06460 - Attention: Linda Ball on the envelope. For more information please call Mrs. Ball at 203 783-3280 ext.8 or Mr. Rusanowsky at 203 877-2592.