If you’ve walked the trail recently, you may be wondering what’s happening at Gilfillan. The answer is a lot!

Horses with Hope
In June, Horses with Hope arrived. Several horses, a donkey, two miniature horses, and four goats (including two fainting goats!) call Gilfillan Farm home from May through October. They provide therapeutic riding programs for individuals with special needs, and in July, offer three weeks of summer camp to children aged 7-15. For more information, visit horseswithhope.org.

Gilfillan Garden
From the parking area you may have noticed all the vegetables growing. Alexander Gilfillan Garden, a SHIM (South Hills Interfaith Movement) community garden, provides fresh produce to our struggling neighbors in the South Hills. We are one of 12 gardens participating in SHIM’s garden program, delivering vegetables weekly to be distributed in their three pantries operating in Bethel Park, Baldwin, and Whitehall.

Gilfillan Garden is a collaboration between Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair High School, and the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair. Five years ago, we started with five raised beds, and today have ten raised beds, with ten 40-foot rows in the field. Crops include the typical squash, tomatoes, peppers, and beans. But since many of the families served by SHIM are Asian, we also grow crops such as bitter gourd, hairy melon, and long beans, along with several greens we used to consider as weeds. As it turns out, purslane and lamb’s quarters are nutritional powerhouses and delicious additions to salads, soups, and stews.

Last year the garden was challenged with the excessive heat and drought, but we still managed to harvest 1,100 lbs. This year, thanks to ideal weather and improvements, we’ve harvested over 2,500 lbs. and still have a few weeks to go.

We are very thankful for the support of many volunteers and organizations. Upper St. Clair High School students participate in spring preparation, vegetable planting, soil testing, and fall cleanup. In early spring, students from the high school’s Life Skills Support Program start seedlings indoors. The Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park (Breakfast) provides volunteers for our spring and fall workdays and has generously awarded us two grants for the purchase of trellis supports and several yards of compost.

Every Monday morning throughout the growing season, volunteers from Westminster and the community come to work at the garden. On occasion, weekend workdays are scheduled to allow others to participate. If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering at the garden, please contact Sue Wyble at [email protected].

We are grateful to be part of everything that’s happening at Gilfillan Farm, but more importantly, the opportunity to provide fresh food to our neighbors in need (Matthew 25).

– Sue Wyble

In 2020, SHIM’s Community Garden Program, consisting of 13 community gardens, donated 15,832 lbs. of harvest that was distributed weekly at their three local food pantries. Since the pandemic began, SHIM has experienced a 41% increase in pantry participation and a 61% increase in overall program participation. The pantries have served 1,027 additional households, totaling 3,213 individuals. Currently they serve approximately 2,500 people per month, compared to 2,100 the previous year, with 35% being children, 50% immigrants, and 15% seniors. The overall distribution of food was over 600,000 lbs.