Community gardens are growing strong

• Together We Grow community gardens are kicking off their second season.
• The organization has community gardens on Eastern Avenue and Everett Park.
• Plots are available for community members to rent for $10 for the summer.
• Call Pam Roberts at 740-504-7351 to reserve your space.

NEWARK – The Together We Grow community gardens are in their second year, and the organization is growing strong.

Peas and lettuce are already sprouting in the Jeff Gorley Community Garden on Eastern Avenue, and raised beds are being built at Everett Park.

Pam and Mike Roberts, who launched Together We Grow in spring 2014, said they learned a lot from the program’s first year.

They’re using new techniques to keep weeds away and trying to extend their growing season by planting early spring crops such as spinach and onions.

But the biggest thing they’ve learned is that Newark residents appreciate the opportunity to rent their own garden plots and harvest their own food.

They’re getting more requests to rent plots, and some of the people who gardened last year are asking for more space, Pam said.

“People are really into locally grown food,” she said. “But they don’t always know how to grow it. We show them how to do it.”

Pam and Mike became interested in community gardening several years ago when they began overseeing the Jeff Gorley Community Garden on Eastern Avenue.

Residents in the neighborhood had the opportunity to rent out small garden plots for a small fee. The garden became a community gathering place, with participants looking out for each other.

They decided to try to harness that positivity and promote community gardening in other Newark neighborhoods by starting Together We Grow.

In their first year, they helped start three additional community gardens, including one at Everett Park. Using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds, they were able to employ several teens, as well as adults with developmental disabilities, to help care for the crops.

Any space that wasn’t rented by community members was used to grow additional produce, which Pam and Mike sold at a stand on Saturdays during the summer and fall. The proceeds from the stand went back to Together We Grow.

This year, Pam and Mike are focusing their efforts on the Jeff Gorley garden and the garden at Everett Park. They also have lent their support to Newark High School students working to create a community garden at the Lincoln Land Lab and Outdoor Center, said Newark High School teacher Mike McNicol.

With an increase in the number of rented garden plots, Pam and Mike will take on more of a managerial role, providing education and assistance to fellow gardeners.

They’ll be offering more than 50 plots for community members to rent while also growing some produce for their weekend farm stand, which will start in early July. They are looking for volunteers interested in helping out during the growing season.

This year, they got an early start and have been working to make numerous improvements to the gardens, Mike said.

With funding from the Jim and Maureen Havens Trust, they were able to build a fence and a shed at Everett Park that will be open for gardeners who need a place to store their supplies.

A $2,000 grant from the Energy Cooperative helped them build another shed and a hoop house. With help from Kohl’s, they also built raised garden boxes for gardeners who use wheelchairs or have a hard time sitting on the ground.

They are hoping to use donated gutters and grant funding to start a berry garden at Everett Park. Several weeks ago, they hosted a painting party to paint 130 tires that will be used to make potato bins for the gardens.

Last month, Together We Grow became an official nonprofit organization, making it easier for Pam and Mike to apply for grants and grow.

“We are hoping to expand in the next couple years and start new gardens,” Pam said.

Wilson’s Garden Center has grown seedlings for them to share with gardeners, and the Eagle Riders donated money for scholarships for families who can’t afford the $10 rental fee.

Pam encouraged anyone interested in gardening this summer to contact Together We Grow.

“Some people don’t have a backyard and are really excited to have a piece of land to do something with,” she said. “Once we get things ready, they’ll be able to come in and put plants where they want them.”

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries

Learn more

Together We Grow has four-by-eight-foot plots available to rent for $10 for the summer. Call Pam Roberts at 740-504-7351 to reserve a space or send an email to togetherwegrowinc@gmail.com. For more information, go to facebook.com/Www.togetherwegrow.org.