U Dig It Community Garden - Mason County

04/21/2026

It's that time of the year when our volunteers get ready for the upcoming gardening season at UDICG! Projects so far include adding two hoop house covers for two of our Fresh Food beds we grow for our local food pantry, Lakeshore Food Club. This will allow us to extend our gardening season during cooler weather. In addition we're experimenting with charring Hemlock boards for wood bed replacement. We typically get 5+ years with the boards but this process should extend it more than 20 years! We also add a limestone trench for the boards to sit on to minimize moisture on the base and keeping the bed from sinking into the ground. At UDICG we're always looking for innovate ways to improve and this year is no exception! Stay tune for more projects on our radar!!

UDICG has been a part of A Few Friends for the Environment of the World since 2022.

06/19/2025

The UDICG community recently lost our good friend Jim Martin. Jim passed away on June 8 not long after celebrating his 90th birthday on May 22nd with family and friends. Jim and his wife Lynne have been apart of the garden from its inception in 2010. He's been involved in many aspect of the overall direction of the garden over the years. I met Jim in 2020 and not long after he asked me to give him a hand at the garden which basically meant he was ready to pass the torch. Throughout the past few years Jim has given guidance on many upgrades at UDICG including the expansion in 2022, transitioning to block beds and the replacement of the storage shed. I personally had the opportunity to learn a lot from his guidance and cherished his friendship. Thank you Jim for all you've done for UDICG. We'll miss you my friend!

Jim's memorial service will take place on Saturday, June 21 at 11 am at the People's Church, 115 W Loomis St, Ludington. A link to Jim's obituary is below.
https://www.oakgroveludington.com/obituaries/James-Edward-Martin?obId=42874736

05/04/2025

We want to give a BIG thank you to The Market for their generous donation of 90 vegetable plants for our food pantry program at UDICG! Their plants were beautiful and they had a great variety. Our dedicated volunteers will maintain 19 garden bed's for Lakeshore Food Club and other local pantries this year. Partnerships like this really makes a difference for our community!

A Few Friends for the Environment of the World
A Few Friends for the Environment of the World (AFFEW)

04/17/2025

It's been a busy spring at UDICG! Gutter's have been installed on the shed that will supply water for our new water retention system. We've also added two bins for storing compost and other bulk supplies. Repairs to wood bed's has started and will be completed this week. We'll be ready for A Few Friends for the Environment of the World Earth Day Celebration on April 26. We'll be giving tours of this amazing community garden! Looking for a place to grow your own veggies? We have 2 bed's for rental...contact [email protected] if you're interested. More info on AFFEW's Earth Day Celebration visit affew.org.

07/14/2024

U Dig It Community Garden is one of the many great programs run by A Few Friends for the Environment of the World !

07/14/2024

This weather has sure turned out amazing growth at UDICG! Our flowers and veggies are VERY happy!! This season we have 18 bed's sponsored for Lakeshore Food Club ! Thanks to our volunteers, a variety of produce is making it's way to our community with lots more to come!!

04/13/2024

We'll be giving tours at U Dig It Community Garden - Mason County during AFFEW's Earth Day Celebration! Stop by and see some amazing speakers, kids events, informational booths and much more!

We are happy to share an exciting event being offered by our community partner and fundholder, AFFEW (A Few Friends for the Environment of the World).

AFFEW will host an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Ludington. This year's theme, "Planet vs. Plastics," will feature a variety of in-person presentations.

Get ready for a day filled with excitement and wonder as Jim McGrath from Nature Discovery brings his captivating interactive show featuring live reptiles and amphibians—just one of the many fun and engaging activities offered! Join the rhythmic beats of the Free Spirit Drum Circle, embark on guided nature hikes, and explore the UDIG Community Garden.

Distinguished LHS graduate Mary Fortier will discuss the most exciting global technology revolution in a century: Electrification!

The event will showcase informational and retail booths from diverse organizations and artists, and yummy food will be available for purchase.

Can't make it to the event? Consider a gift to AFFEW to support their work. You may give online at https://mason-foundation.org/give/give-now/ or send a check to the Community Foundation for Mason County at 119 S. Rath Ave., Ludington, MI. Be sure to write "AFFEW" on the memo line.

04/11/2024

Thank you to our partners SRM Concrete for donating 3.5 cubic yards of concrete for our shed replacement project! This was enough for a 14' x 18' concrete pad for the shed and rain barrels at the garden. Getting closer to being ready for AFFEW's Earth Day Celebration on April 20! Learn more at affew.org.

04/11/2024

A Few Friends for the Environment of the World

04/11/2024

What a productive day at the garden yesterday!

The concrete pad for the new shed was poured, a new sign designed and painted by Jeff R was installed and finally 4 new block bed's got the bolt's concreted in place and are now ready for the hemlock board installation!

More work to do before AFFEW's Earth Day Celebration on April 20! Learn more about this great event at affew.org!