Downtown planters offer residents fresh herbs, vegetables

NEWARK – Residents walking around downtown Newark lately have likely run into one of the planter boxes, the ones that seemingly sprung up overnight to offer passersby fresh herbs and vegetables.

The boxes were placed on the sidewalks around the square during Newark FAMFEST, a three-day art and film festival hosted by The Sparta Restaurant and Coffee Shop in May.

During the festival, the Licking County Master Gardeners offered a workshop making portable gardens with local youths. The goal was to introduce children to fresh food, and it got Chris Ramsey thinking that edible planters could really change the way people think about their dinner.

“I think it draws people in to the conversation about local food,” Ramsey said. “How much better would it be if everywhere you saw dirt downtown, we were growing local food? There’s just something intangible about growing local food outside your business.”

Hope Timber supplied the soil, the Master Gardeners supplied the plants and resident Charlie Franks donated pallets to create the planter boxes.

The planters on the north side of the square feature plants that require more light, while those on the south side are home to plants who can flourish in shady conditions. The planters have everything from lettuce to fresh basil; each one has a label on the front identifying what plants can be found inside.

Anyone passing by the planters is welcome to sample some of the plants, Ramsey said. He only asks that visitors leave enough for the plant to continue to grow.

“I love flowers, but I think these edible garden planters are a great way to change the city,” Ramsey said. “The Master Gardeners told me they met a kid who didn’t know what a strawberry was. We want to change that by making these fresh foods more tangible.”

emaddern@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @emmaddern