Community Garden Ready to Sprout

For the first time ever, Boundary County will have a community garden using land leased by the Gardeners for Regional Organic Wellbeing (GROW) from Trinity Lutheran Church.

According to Mikayla Jordan, volunteer director for GROW, thirty garden beds measuring 20 feet long and four feet wide will be available on a seasonal lease basis. The cost to lease a garden bed is $20 for the season, which includes paying for water.

"This is the first year for the project," said Mikayla. "It's never been done in the county before."

Mikayla said that the idea for a community garden began with Jason Thomas, president of GROW.

"It started with the idea in the fall," said Mikayla, "and it just blossomed from there. It's slowly grown over the winter. We've got people from all walks of life in the GROW group. We formed different committees to divide the work and met many times during the winter to discuss plans."

Mikayla said that anyone who would like to lease one of the raised beds located behind Trinity Lutheran Church will need to sign a contract that includes rules and guidelines for participating in the community garden.

She explained that the GROW group will provide spigots for watering and participants will be responsible for planting and maintaining their garden spot throughout the growing season.

"Some people have volunteered to start seedlings and some seeds have been donated," said Mikayla. "They will be available on a first come first served basis."

She said that David Ronniger of Ronniger Farms also donated his time and used his tractor to till the area and that the tires of his tractor will make the pathways between the beds.

Richardson & Dirks Tree Care donated all of the land preparation as far as clearing the site, taking care of the trees and clearing stumps. They put in hours and hours of work.

Fred Hendrickson of Bear Mechanical is donating his time to provide and spread all the manure for the site.

Mikayla estimated that planting will take place around May 20, depending on the variable north Idaho weather.

"Everyone in the GROW group has gotten together and done their part," said Mikayla. "They've gotten excited and gotten it going."

In the future, Mikayla said that the GROW group and the community gardeners would like to begin donating fresh produce to the Restorium, the food bank and, in the distant future, provide local produce to the schools.

"As a group, we are focusing on creating local, sustainable food sources," Mikayla said. "We want to get the community interested in gardening and growing their own food."

Information on leasing a garden plot or joining the GROW group can be obtained from Mikayla Jordan at 610-9399 or Jason Thomas at 267-1418. Further information can be obtained from their website at
www.growboundarycounty.org.