Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
A11
GROW
Community Garden: A growing interest
Prosperous
project is in its
seventh season
John La Liberte brings
in a riding mower to
help tackle springtime’s
overgrown grass and
weeds around the
garden.
By Cheryl Hoefl er
Blue Mountain Eagle
Great Course.
Great Rates!
Eagle photos/Cheryl Hoefler
The John Day Community Garden, which sprouted in 2010, is a growing
enterprise located on the 3rd Street Extension in John Day.
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Susan Garner waters her bed of
freshly planted produce.
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am
The message kiosk at
the community garden
helps relay information
among gardeners.
Garden members will have
a booth at the John Day Farm-
ers Market “Spring Festival”
on Saturday, June 18, with
drawings for several prizes and
gift baskets, many of which
are donated by local business-
es and individuals. This is the
group’s main fundraiser which
helps purchase items needed to
expand and improve the gar-
den.
The group will also have
a booth at the Grant County
Health Fair the day before,
Back-to-Spring
’s
Patty Ross fills her bed with a variety of
vegetable seedlings.
Ny
d
JOHN DAY — It’s a place
where gleeful gardeners gath-
er.
The John Day Community
Garden, located on the Third
Street Extension across from
the Grant County rodeo fair-
grounds arena, comes alive
with activity most Saturdays
from March through October,
and many other days during
the week.
The agricultural enterprise,
which was planted in 2010,
sprouted quickly under the
enthusiasm of local gardeners
and seven seasons later, has
grown into a prosperous proj-
ect. The garden benefi ts not
only those who rent and work
plots there, but the entire com-
munity, with events, surplus
produce, and a pumpkin patch
in the fall.
The efforts of all involved
help support shopping local
and providing fresh produce
for the community.
Several features have been
added to the garden over the
years including raised beds, a
cob oven, tool shed, a kiosk
message board and a banner
sign.
All the garden’s plots —
about 40 — have been sold
for the 2016 season, although
more can be built if anyone
needs one. Garden staff are
looking into possibly building
more beds for the future.
Other future plans include
adding a stand pipe for irri-
gation purposes and a hand-
icapped accessible bed. The
group also hopes to partner
more closely with Oregon
State University Extension.
Past president John La Lib-
erte said they hope to create a
strategic plan and “come up
with a footprint on what we
want it to be fi ve years from
now.”
An orientation/community
party kicks things off in March
or April each year, with new
and veteran gardeners meeting
to spruce up the garden, make
growing plans, share seeds and
ideas and sharing a meal of
soup and bread from the cob
oven.
A harvest fest and pumpkin
giveaway usually fi nish off the
season in October.
Fees are $25 for a 5x20 plot
or $15 for a 5x10 one, which
includes use of the watering
supply and garden shed of
tools.
The John Day Community
Garden is headed by president
Susan Garner, treasurer Chris-
ty Sweet and secretary Becky
Carey.
Green onions are plentiful in this raised bed at the
community garden.
selling tickets for the draw-
ings.
For information about the
drawings or to donate a prize,
call La Liberte at 541-620-0719.
For more information about
the garden, email johndaycom-
munitygarden@gmail.com or
visit the John Day Community
Garden on Facebook.
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03534