Work on the Visioning Garden began in 2020 and continued throughout the spring and summer of 2021. Now is the ideal time to share the bounty of what’s being grown.
“The (vegetables) are ripening as we speak,” said Kali Lawrence, executive director of Springfield Promise. “We want to take this slow and have a casual event to manage our expectations, but we want people to come and enjoy the garden with the sunflowers blooming and the perennials and pollinators and other things we have.”
The shed for the stand, which came from a mission trip and was originally built to help store items off-season, will serve as the stand. There will be eight to 10 vegetables available such as lettuce, kale, beans, cabbage, beets, peas, pepper and five varieties of tomatoes from the 60-70 tomato plants on the property.
Lawrence credited several nurseries for donating extra plants and items the garden utilized. Now the organization can give back.
Donations will be accepted for the vegetables and nobody will be turned away, Lawrence said.
“We aren’t out to make a profit; we want people to eat good and healthy foods,” she said. “There’s a lot to explore and visit here we also want people to see.”
Plans are for the produce to be harvested weekly and the food stand will open noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays through August and possibly beyond, adding other seasonal foods. A pumpkin patch will be one of the upcoming additions.
Saturday’s event will last until about dusk or until the produce runs out. Springfield Promise Grows will host a larger community event at 3 p.m. Aug. 14 at the garden recognizing community heroes and others who have helped the organization aid the community.
For more information, go to the Springfield Promise Grows Facebook page.
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