"Spring is officially here, and minds and hearts are turning to growing," said Camden Public Library, in a news release. "Some organized gardeners have already started seedlings and sketched out plots. If you haven’t, you can still get on board with small acts of gardening. Or you may have be looking for a gardening plot."

Join others on Thursday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m., at Camden Public Library and via Zoom for “Compost & Community: Garden Support from Other Growers, Compost, and Critters” to answer these needs and learn exciting ways to improve your 2026 garden. Hosted by CamdenCAN and Camden Public Library.

Joelle Albury, from Erikson Fields Preserve and Aldermere Farm Preserve, will talk about the ways your can get your hands dirty with community gardening, including fun benefits, like regular potlucks, community work days, and just the joy of getting to know new friends at a new growing place. Albury will be joined by ScrapDogs’ Tessa Rosenberry, who will help us understand the many ways that composting your food and garden scraps can improve your life (and help the planet!).

The gardens are surrounded by a deer fence and offer water, manure, a shed for tools, and guidance. Nearby, a spirited Teen Ag Crew tends their impressive gardens, according to a Library news release. ("The plots are currently filled, but we are accepting applications for anyone who would like to be added to a waitlist," said the news release.)

Erickson Fields is a preserve of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation organization. The Trust maintains Erickson Fields as a working farm that annually produces thousands of pounds of produce for local food assistance programs and hosts educational programs for the community.

ScrapDogs Community Compost is a food scrap collection and composting service founded in 2018 with the goal of diverting food waste away from landfills and incinerators, while simultaneously strengthening the local food system. ScrapDogs, based in Rockland, serves a growing number of coastal communities from Belfast to Wiscasset, and along the Kennebec River from Waterville to Gardiner.
ScrapDogs’ finished compost is made with food scraps from Maine homes, schools, and businesses, as well as lobster and oyster shells, animal manures, and hardwood bark–transforming undervalued resources into gold for your garden and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

This program takes place in person at the library as well as on Zoom. Visit librarycamden.org for a link to register to watch virtually.