By Staff
Dowagiac's new community garden next to the new fire station is a project Assistant City Manager Rozanne Scherr has wanted to try for a couple of years as a youth-oriented activity.
Vegetables it produces will also help feed residents, like the victory garden that used to keep bellies full at lunchtime at Fitch Camp in the 1940s.
With the blessing of city administration, the idea was taken to the city Parks and Recreation Board for input.
With its support, the community garden concept was created.
City Manager Kevin Anderson on Friday shed a bit more light on this project, which seemed to spring from nowhere without warning.
A community garden is a collaboratively created area used for growing plants that is maintained by members of the public.
Benefits of community gardening include providing a catalyst for social interaction by bringing neighbors together to work on a common project and to beautify neighborhoods.
Gardening encourages self-reliance by providing an opportunity to reduce family food budgets while providing fresh, healthy produce for the table.
Gardening also conserves resources by decreasing the number of pathways food must pass through before it reaches consumers. Gardening affords opportunities for recreation, exercise and education.
"When the city first looked at creating a community garden," Anderson said, "the most important decisions centered around three basic elements: where to locate it, the plan for the garden and who will work on it. We looked at several sites in the city and settled on the area next to the soon-to-be new fire station. It is a nice, sunny, medium visibility location with access to water, a fence on one side to keep out wild life and plenty of room for expansion. Once the location was identified, staff members, including Gordon Warner as master gardener, DPS Director Christopher Bolt and the Department of Public Services provided expertise in preparing the location for planting."
Starting small is considered the best way to begin.
Successful community gardens have started with a 20-foot by 30-foot space and expanded in subsequent years.
Since gardening is labor intensive, "We wanted to be sure we did not get in over our heads in the first year," the city manager said. As project organizer, Scherr contacted several community organizations and businesses for donations of gardening expertise, plants and supplies.
Fred Hipshear tilled the 30-foot-square plot. Hale's Hardware donated garden hose. Bartley Farms in Silver Creek Township gave plants.
"Given the small size of the garden," Anderson said, "the number of organizations wishing to volunteer will be limited to a maximum of 10. Each organization will be responsible for the upkeep on a section of the garden. Many thanks to Second Baptist Church for their assistance in leveling the soil and removing rocks in the garden."
Organizations wishing to participate may contact Rose at 782-2195.
Anderson said the garden's bounty will be shared equally between the volunteers (50 percent) and Dowagiac food pantries (50 percent).
This year's garden goal is to provide fresh vegetables to Dowagiac residents who need assistance, to provide an educational opportunity for area youth and to generate excitement about gardening's benefits.
We're sure the community garden will only continue to grow in future years.
There's a lot of grassy area for more involvement.
Future educational opportunities are likely to include dissemination of information on home canning and freezing fresh-grown vegetables. A green thumbs up!