In 2003, Tom Norton encouraged Carolyn Simek and Gail Shulman to play in the dirt. I have it on good authority that they’re still playing.

Norton is the administrator of St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Bloomingdale. He has successfully tilled a 40’ x 22’ portion of the church property at Gary Avenue and Army Trail Road into an organic vegetable garden that feeds the hungry.

Simek and Shulman from St. Isidore’s and gardeners from St. Peter Damian Catholic Church in Bartlett volunteered to help. The first year, the garden yielded 900 pounds of vegetables. The harvest was donated to the Northwest DuPage Walk-in Ministries at the Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream and Resurrection Catholic Church in West Chicago.

“The next year, we fenced the garden to keep the critters out,” Shulman said. “We yielded 1,035 pounds of vegetables. The following year, we raised 1,335 pounds of vegetables.”

The gardeners planted whatever they wanted — beans, cantaloupes, corn, eggplant, leeks, okra, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, tomatoes, turnips and zucchini, as well as basil, chives, dill, oregano, parsley and rosemary.

“It’s grown without chemical fertilizers,” Norton said. “We compost leaves, grass and manure. We want to lead by example.”

That’s what their namesake would have wanted.

“St. Isidore is the patron saint of farmers,” Shulman said. “St. Isidore’s Church is blessed to have eager volunteer gardeners.”

This year’s volunteers include Renee Cichon, Patrick Grogan, Ben Hoyle, Jeanne Leix, Jim Leix, Beth Lipinski, Patricia Lopex, Diane Petricj, Lora Rollins, Kelly Sheridan and Marlene Sylvester.

“This year’s goal is to raise 1,000 pounds,” she said. “We planted beans, beets, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, kohlrabi, onions, pepper, Swiss chard, spinach, and tomatoes. For the first time, we’re growing broccoli and cabbage.” 

Kudos to the St. Isidore’s Organic Garden Ministry farmers. If you can help by watering the crops, please call the church office at (630) 529-3045.

By the way, St. Isidore’s is the summertime site for PADS (People’s Action to Deliver Shelter). The winter location for the homeless is St. Walter’s Catholic Church in Roselle.

Currently, PADS is in need of men’s and women’s T-shirts, socks and underwear, as well as small personal-care items such as toothbrushes, combs, razors, soap, shampoo and unused sheets, pillow cases and towels.

There’s also a need for paper plates, bowls, cups, plastic utensils, tongs, decaffeinated coffee, dry creamer and sugar.

If you can help by donating an item or funds to purchase items, please call the church office.