While the space has been in use since 2010, new grants and expansion have allowed for a Kitchen Vegetable Garden, where 24 Springfield residents/families will be given individual 7.5-by-25-foot plots to grow their own vegetables.
There is a $15 fee for each plot, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Seeds, tools and plants will be provided. Good soil and access to water will be included in the fenced-in garden.
“We’re trying to offer this as a community space that is safe and can be taken care of,” said Dr. Bob Welker, Promise’s resource consultant.
Those interested in a plot should make the commitment to tend to their area and use the resources available to keep it viable.
The Visioning Garden has had a busy 15 months beginning with acquiring four plots of land from the Fuller Center for Housing in January 2020 that make up the Kitchen Vegetable Garden. Promise volunteers, vistas and staff have worked and added modifications including a hoop house, several raised beds and trenches for modified water lines added this spring.
The space will also be a source of education for kids and families. Given the hardships created by the pandemic and the closure of the southside Kroger in 2020, it comes at an ideal time.
“We’ve had a lot of momentum,” said Kali Lawrence, executive director of Springfield Promise. “This is a chance for people to learn and grow the kind of food they want.”
The Visioning Garden’s raised beds yielded 300 pounds of produce to donate to food banks and pantries in 2020. Lawrence said there’s a goal of 500 pounds in 2021.
Welker and Lawrence credit several partnerships and funders for making these additions possible. Promise is using the Jefferson Street Oasis Community Garden, a successful Springfield gardening project, as a mentor.
The Kitchen Vegetable Garden is just the first of several future additions. A fruit orchard dedicated to community heroes is taking shape.
A farm stand featuring the garden’s goods is another possibility this season and maybe a mobile food pantry. Longer-term plans include adding a public area in an open space at the front of the garden with a play area including basketball hoops, soccer goals, a sandbox and maybe a water wall.
The Garden is on the grounds where the former Lincoln Elementary School once stood.
Another part of the sustainability plan is to hire a resident garden manager. Ultimately, the vision for Visioning Garden is to have a flourishing, multi-use space that is beautiful, inspiring and productive, according to Welker.
“We’ve come a heck of long way and there’s so much to do,” he said. “It’s good and it’s getting there.”
To apply for a lot, call 937-505-0330 or go to springfieldpromisegrows@gmail.com.
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