Keeseville Community Garden plans workshops for all

KEESEVILLE | The first plants and seeds were sowed in the new Community Garden here just before Memorial Day. It's tucked into the back of the green space between Adirondack Hardware and the bank on Front Street downtown. An open wooden pavilion, it is arranged with six raised beds. The design/build was completed late last summer by AdkAction as part of their effort to improve food security in a region with few or limited access to grocery stores. It's a community space with a park-like feel that the AdkAction garden outreach team hopes could become a monthly or weekly gathering place for local residents who want to learn more about creating a small garden, or what to plant, or even how to use containers. They will host events for children at the same time, a great option for parents on summer Wednesday evenings. Jennifer Stanton is an AmeriCorp volunteer helping start up the Keeseville Community Garden this year. "It's our inaugural season with this petit community garden," she said as she and gardeners gathered to plant on Wednesday. "We don't have individual plots like some community gardens, though this space is a shared garden. People can come and help if they want or take part in any of our free workshops. We're just inviting the community to come down and help us with it." For planting the first year, there are several types of tomato plants going in, plus peppers and jalapenos, kale, swiss chard, carrots and beets. The design for the unique open pavilion and garden boxes was created by AdkAction intern Kim Gonzalez. "It's a great start," Stanton said of the garden site. Meghan Dohman, who is from Cornell Cooperative Extension, has children's events planned for summer, using art ideas related to growing food and planting gardens. The first program, Know Before You Grow, drew just a few residents on Wednesday, but planners hope that if people see and visit the garden space they might want to learn more. "We hope people ask about planting their own garden. It doesn't have to be a big overwhelming spot in a back yard," Stanton said."You could create a container garden that doesn't take up much space at all." AdkAction is also expanding its Fair Food Program and distributing Double-Up Food Bucks that could help families stretch their food budget. "Our main goal is to help advance food access," Stanton said. "The vision for this space in downtown Keeseville is to turn a once empty plot of land into a vibrant and fruitful area for everyone in the community to utilize and enjoy." Events scheduled in June include a Wednesday garden gathering on June 22 at the Community Garden at 5 p.m. In addition to fun for kids, AdkAction will talk about plant observation skills. On July 23, the garden will be (hopefully) in full bloom for the Keeseville Community Arts Festival. This Keeseville Community Garden was established with the generous donation of land-use from owner Barbara Davidson and a grant from the Chapel Hill Foundation for infrastructure. Funding from the Capital District Physicians' Health Plan and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield support the educational events and maintenance of the garden. To find out more about the Keeseville Community Garden, visit AdkAction online: adkaction.org The schedule of events is online at: www.adkaction.org/garden For more information about Food Bucks, contact Double Up Food Bucks Outreach, Jennifer Stanton at j.stanton@adkaction.org or by phone at 518-856-3233.

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Keeseville Community Garden plans workshops for all

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