By Susan Manning

Staff writer

Ever wonder where all that money you spend on Girl Scout cookies goes? 

This year, in Holliston, it stayed local.  

Members of Holliston‘s Girl Scout Troop 62203 spent some of the money earned from cookies on a 10 x 10‘ garden plot at Pinecrest Community Garden, where they tend to the food they planted. They have spent the past couple of months growing vegetables in their community garden. 

Troop leader Lucinda Coughlin said it started small

“During the course of a few meetings we learned how to start some plants from seed and each girl scout could take it home and care for it. They could bring them back and plant in the garden plot, or use the seedlings I had.  

“The girls picked out what they wanted to grow, and decided where to plant them in the space,” she said.

Coughlin gave them a little education on how to succeed as a gardener.

“I taught them about weeding, prepping the soil, watering, and harvesting.  I use a Facebook page just for my troop to keep updating the girls and families, and we will all post in there from time to time,” coughlin explained.

And, as the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work.

“The girls each have a few weeks were they are responsible for watering, weeding, and then harvesting.  Once the food is harvested, we will drop off what we grew to the Holliston Food Pantry,” said the troop leader.

In addition to helping those with food insecurities, the gardening also benefited the girls. The troop, said Coughlin, was able to hold some meetings there, weed together, and use the space for their bridging ceremony, where the girls move upper level in the organization. 

 “The outdoor space is fantastic and really lets the girls get up and move around, and be active. There are some who had not gardened before and seem to really like it. There are a few who might not love gardening, but really like the community service aspect of helping weed others gardens and also providing fresh food to people who might not be able to purchase it right now,” she said.

The girls chose to plant cucumbers, yellow cucumbers, zucchini, patty pan squash, Dragon’s Tongue (white and purple) green beans, scarlet runner beans, yellow, purple, and red tomatoes, basil, cilantro, rosemary, onions, chives, watermelon, kale, lettuce and birdhouse gourds. Coughlin said the girls have received support from the other garden plot renters, as well.  

“The gardens in general are rented by folks of all ages and backgrounds, and the gardeners and people running the plot has been really supportive of the girls. The families have been great and supportive as well,” she said, adding how proud she was of their work.

“They have worked so hard on the garden plot at the Pinecrest Holliston Community Garden,” said Coughlin.