Jenni McKarns, Master Gardener, spoke to the Stryker Rotary about her experience with community gardens in Williams County. The WCCGA “Williams County Community Gardening Association” was established in 2017. Their mission is to provide opportunity and instruction for those interested in growing healthy food in a sustainable community environment.
Two communities have established gardens and a third is well underway. Bryan was the first garden and Kunkle garden was next with a new garden in Edon under construction. Jenni explained that key factors to success have been location, water source, and community involvement.
The community must be involved to work to establish a suitable site for the garden and provide workers to construct the site. The established gardens have raised beds that are surrounded by fencing designed to keep unwanted pests from eating or damaging plants and vegetables. Each has a source of water and located when it isconvenient for gardeners.
The garden sites all have an assigned trustee who watches over and maintains the site. Area schools have also been involved with FFA students providing skills to build raised beds. Any community member who is interested can arrange to be assigned a bed in the garden for a $10 annual fee. Fees are used to maintain the site.
Jenni also said the fee helps to ensure gardeners maintain ownership of their area. Some of costs of construction have been covered by grants with remaining funds provided by the community. The club determined they will work with the village and community to determine if a site could be a success in Stryker as well as determine what role the Rotary could play in making the project successful.
Jenni spoke as a guest of Renee Isaac. The club also confirmed the plan to sell Krispy Cream donuts on May 22nd in Bryan. There was also a tentative decision to consider meeting in person at the Methodist Church beginning in May.