What a great year we had! Of course, this affirmation sounds so ironic considering that we are still suffering the effects and consequences of a global pandemic. However, there has been a learning curve that we probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise. For example, failure to see the costs of not having real neighborhood relationships has been the primary cause of weak communities and, this weakness has been eroding our ability to lead productive and satisfying lives. Most of us

I wanted to learn more about CHEER’s gardening projects, an important and perhaps less noticed aspect of the organization’s work. Naturally, I turned to Lisa Büttner, who has spearheaded these efforts. This interview has been edited lightly. Would you tell us a little bit about the gardening that you do? Since early 2021, I have had the pleasure of gardening with a group of women in three gardens that have been “loaned” to the group on private properties in Long Branch. We ca