For two years the CommUnity Garden in Ponoka has been growing at a steady rate.
With only six lots left, co-ordinator Kimberley Saunders feels the garden will be full for a third year. “I like that it’s a community effort and it gets people out.”
Located on 35 Avenue on the way to the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, Saunders is working on a second location for next year.
The organic gardens are a way for someone who wants to learn the ins and outs of gardening or for a person who does not have their own plot, to plant fruits and vegetables.
“They (gardeners) can do whatever they want with it,” said Saunders.
The project encourages homegrown foods and helps kids understand where food comes from, she added.
People also use the gardens as a place to socialize and share tips with each other; the organizing committee is also made up of avid gardeners, which she feels is an advantage to the community garden’s growth.
The gardens are fenced off to keep deer and other animals out and plots are 10 feet by 20 feet for $20. Additional plots are $10. For those who have extra produce from their gardens Sunders recommends donating to the Ponoka Food Bank.