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 Missouri Valley Community Action Agency Career Services Specialist Mary Ann Piper addresses those present at the planning meeting for a community garden, held in Marshall's City Council Chamber, Wednesday morning, Feb. 3. (Geoff Rands/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] |
Currently, three properties belonging to the city of Marshall have been identified as sites for gardens between March and October 2010.
"These are the cream of the crop," said MVCAA Career Services Specialist Mary Ann Piper about the three properties selected.
Although the three properties that will be used during the coming gardening season are each located near Marshall's square, there are "some available in all four corners" of the town, which will be used in years to come if there is enough demand, said Piper.
Among those who have received applications and rule lists so far, said Piper, are families that have come to MVCAA's Resource Center, residents at the High Rise and families involved in the Head Start program.
Marshall Public Library Director Amy Crump added that she will make those materials available at Marshall Public Library.
Speaking for members of Marshall's city government, City Administrator Connie Latimer said, "We think it's a wonderful idea. We're tickled to death."
"People are struggling for basic economic stability," said Latimer, adding that it is important to remind people "that you can hang your clothes up to dry" or grow their own food.
"A garden's hard work," said MVCAA Community Development Manager Cheryl Zimny, but added that it offers great rewards and that it is "a great parent/child interactive activity."
Latimer said the city would be willing to perform maintenance, such as mowing, on the areas of the properties that are near streets.
Speaking about the availability of running water at the properties, Latimer said that some may have available hookups.
When she lived in a previous community, said Crump, a neighborhood association paid the water bill for its community garden.
However, the association did lock the pump installed on site.
MVCAA would pay for water at the site and provide hand tools and equipment, such as a spade, hoe and tomato cage, said Zimny.
She added that MVCAA took bids from Orscheln's, LaCrosse Lumber, Walmart and Slater General Store for that equipment, and found that Slater General Store's bid was about half the price of the other bids. This equipment will be purchased in bulk.
Because MVCAA will give these items to gardeners rather than hold them and check them out to gardeners, no MVCAA employee will need to be available for early-morning gardening sessions, said Zimny.
Zimny mentioned that there is no rental store in the area from which MVCAA could rent a tiller with which plots could be readied.
Latimer said she would check to find if someone in the area would donate the use of his or her tiller.
She also said the city "could probably help with the cost" if one is incurred in procuring a tiller.
Compost is available for free at the city's dump site on Route O, Latimer said.
Crump inquired into the legality of selling items grown on city property, explaining that her concern comes from the thought of policing Market on the Square to ensure that all produce could legally be sold.
"If they're willing to do the work to have a garden and maintain it," said Latimer, gardeners may do whatever they like with their harvest.
Piper added that she plans to urge gardeners to donate any excess food they grow to the Community Food Pantry.
Piper asked those present to suggest changes to the existing list of rules for the garden, and received some suggestions.
Zimny ended the meeting by saying that Piper will continue to lead in MVCAA's efforts to establish the community garden, although she will no longer serve MVCAA as an AmeriCorps VISTA, but instead as a full-time employee.
Besides Piper, Zimny, Crump and Latimer, MVCAA receptionist Carol Miller was also present at the meeting.
Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net
Related story:
Weather may be wintry, but MVCAA looks to spring with community garden planning:
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I think MVCAA is doing a great job too.
I think that littlemissme has a very valid point. I work with clients everyday who use and abuse the system. On the other hand, you have the people who are truly disabled and who are elderly who don't qualify for food stamps because they make too much getting SS or SSI every month. You tell me how anyone can live on $700 a month and not get food stamps, still pay for rent if their rent isn't subsidized, pay for medicine, etc. Instead, you have people who definitely have more mouths than they can feed, who are fully capable of working, and choose not to. BUT, then again, look at it this way. Let's say a mother does have 2-3 kids. All she has is her high school diploma or GED. If she gets a job making minimum wage, by the time she gets her paycheck, she will have worked to pay for childcare. She would have lost her food stamps, her medicaid, her housing assistance, everything. So sometimes it easier to live on the system. But regardless of all that, I think that having a community garden is a great way for the community to get together. Spend time with your children, or do something that gives you something to feel proud of. I think MVCAA is doing a great job!
Littlemissme,
Sounds like u are angry about something. Take a pill and chill out.
Has the new City Administrator checked with the New Mayor to see if all the City assistance promised meets her (new Mayor) approval?
I have worked hard all my life and there was no nestegg. I earned my way. My comment was "able bodied" and perhaps I should have said those who do not work for more than a few days and for whatever reason won't. I mean the ones that have more babies when they can't feed the ones they have.
I in no way mean people who work and still fall below the poverty line. I don't mean those who are disabled. I mean the ones who stay on foodstamps year after year and alway have an excuse why they CAN'T do something about it.
If you think those people don't exist then you are sadly mistaken. That is what I mean and I stand behind that staement and I don't feel it is rude in any sense of the word.
There is no mention of income eligibility for having a plot. I believe that these plots would be available for anyone regardless of their balance sheet or income statement. There should be plenty of ground available to go around. May be some other civic or church groups could lend a hand in preparing the "virgin" ground for planting.
As I remember the last time I prepared a plot I used a spading fork (potato diggger to some) and a shovel to prepare my soil and to incorporate the compost. The concept is called double digging. Much better tomoto production than when I used a tiller to work virgin ground.
I might recommend that everyone go out to the Savvy Gardener website. It is based in Overland Park Kansas and there are a group of Gardeners who would be willing to give peer to peer advise. Plus check out the Missouri Botanical Gardens website for good information. Many look to the Missouri Botanical Gardens for information across the country.
The community garden is a good thing. I hope many people will come together as a whole to make a better place for all people.
I know there is many people who are working full time jobs and still qualify for food stamps.
Litlmissme
What a rude statement. You must be one of those who have never had to work a hard day in your life, a nest egg.. Its people like you that make it hard to have a good community.
Do you think that there might be some people that would rather do without than ask for food stamps?
Where is your kindness to humanity?
It would be nice to see that any able bodied person who is recipient of food stamps be handed a packet of seeds and a bucket of water, and expected to put in at least a couple of days HARD work at one of these gardens, prior to recieving the next set of foodstamps.
Perhaps it would discourage the use of food stamps, by those who are fully capable of getting a real job.