Roosevelt Home Garden Report 2020

Focus on Food

2020 was an unusual but important year in the Roosevelt Home Garden. In order to continue care for live plants in the greenhouse and because of the focus on food production in the Home Garden, horticulture staff was deemed essential and continued to work throughout the pandemic. The need for fresh produce was heightened as local families experienced financial difficulties, increasing reliance on food distribution through Dutchess Outreach. This year, 315 crates of produce were delivered to the Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market. We added a second weekly delivery during peak harvest times, which was greatly needed and appreciated by the market. We were also able to donate live plants and cut flowers this year, brightening the homes and gardens of market customers.

Safety for Volunteers and Staff

While regular volunteers were not able to garden with us early in the season, we were fortunate to have a good team in place to accomplish our work. Student Conservation Association intern Jennifer Edwards joined us for a week before the park shut down, then came back to complete her internship later in the season. Seasonal worker Joe Zwikelmeier joined our team from May to November, providing much needed mowing and gardening support. Small Space Garden Exhibit creator Al Rubins commuted from his RV located in the park this year. Al’s presence in the park this season was especially valuable, providing critical greenhouse care in the spring, and garden education for the public—especially on weekends when visitation was highest.

A few volunteers returned to the vegetable and rose gardens from August to November. A total of nine volunteers contributed over 100 hours of service in the Roosevelt Gardens. The volunteers were happy to have the opportunity to do meaningful and productive work in a safe environment.

A Growing Interest in Gardening

Throughout the country, seed companies sold out of their products as record numbers of Americans sought to use their stay at home months to experience gardening for the first time. Al Rubins expanded the Small Space Garden exhibit, adding new features throughout the season. The purpose of this exhibit is to show visitors that everyone can grow something to eat, regardless of space or resource limitations. Al estimated that 100-150 people per day visited the garden on the weekends during late summer and early fall. Our conservative estimate is that Al contributed 1,575 hours to the park this season!

Education and Outreach, Sometimes from a Distance

While our in-person education and outreach efforts were limited, we adapted to new ways of programming. Beatrix Farrand Garden Association horticulturist Karen Waltuch invited us to participate in her weekly video series “Farrand Friends Fridays,” where we gave a greenhouse tour, vegetable garden information, and tours of the Small Space Gardening exhibit. SCA intern Jennifer Edwards created an audio tour of the Small Space Gardening Exhibit. We hosted a class from the Culinary Institute of America’s Sustainable Food Systems program. These students are exploring the influence of FDR’s agriculture and conservation programs on our modern food system. We are confident that we can do more outdoor, socially distanced programming next year.

A rainbow arcs over the Presidential Library and the Home Garden.

Ready for the Next Step!

We have continued to improve drainage and soil structure and will introduce perennial crops (strawberries, grapes, asparagus, etc.) to the garden next year.

The Landscape and Garden Division and all the employees at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site thanks the Franklin D. Roosevelt Hyde Park Foundation for their continued support of the Home Garden Restoration. The Foundation's support ensures the interpretation of an important legacy of the Roosevelt family in Hyde Park and allows us to connect our community and visitors to their story.