Gather at Timberland – A Garden with Purpose
On a hot July morning at Timberland Headquarters in Stratham, NH, I got to photograph one of Gather’s community gardens. It’s part of a new project I’m working on with Gather to document their different programs, people, and places that help them in their mission to fight hunger on the Seacoast.
A Partnership That Feeds the Community
This garden is a partnership between Timberland and Gather, producing fresh vegetables that go straight to local families. On the day I visited, cucumbers were ready, squash was thriving, and the plants were spilling over their edges with life.
Walking through the rows, I spotted a weathered “Victory Garden” sign — faded and worn from years in the sun. I didn’t grab a photo of it this time (note to self for next visit), but it hit me that this garden has been here since 2008. That’s nearly two decades of Timberland growing food on this site to support local hunger-relief efforts.
Kate & Ally (Not the TV Show)
The whole idea to document Gather’s many activities came from Kate Constantine, their Community Engagement Manager. Kate has a knack for connecting people and ideas, and when she heard about my interest in working with nonprofits, she suggested creating an ongoing photo series that would highlight Gather’s mission and the people behind it. Her vision was to capture moments from across their programs — from gardens like this one to distribution days and community events — so more people could see the impact Gather has on the Seacoast.
Kate then introduced me to Ally Lynch, Gather’s Gleaning and Gardening Manager. She’s not just managing plants — she’s managing the whole process, from planting to harvest, making sure the food gets where it needs to go. Watching her move between watering, checking the soil, and picking produce made me realize how much work happens behind the scenes to keep a garden like this going.
Why This Project Excites Me
For me, this project is a chance to step outside my usual commercial work and do something different. Every shoot with Gather will have its own rhythm — different locations, different light, different stories to tell.
It’s also an opportunity to experiment with new shooting and processing techniques. Gardens are alive in a way that buildings aren’t — the light shifts quickly, plants move in the breeze, and you’re constantly adjusting to capture those small, fleeting details.
Looking Ahead
This was the first chapter in what I think will be a long-running story, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me — and more importantly, the good it helps showcase in our community.
If you’d like to learn more about Gather and their work, visit www.gathernh.org.
And if your nonprofit or community organization in Portsmouth, NH, or anywhere in the Seacoast region is looking for professional photography to document your work — from events and programs to the people who make it happen — I’d love to help. Contact me here to discuss your project.