Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • Place Ad
    • View Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Senior Photos 2021
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • Place Ad
    • View Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Senior Photos 2021
FeaturedFood
Home›Featured›Community Gardens offer gift for Marshfield gardeners

Community Gardens offer gift for Marshfield gardeners

By Mike Warren Kobs
May 2, 2023
0
0
Share:

FOR HUB CITY TIMES

MARSHFIELD — Vegetable gardening is a healthy way to save money and enjoy fresh produce at home. When done correctly, even the smallest plot can produce copious amounts of fruits and vegetables and possibly provide a significant savings to your grocery budget. Growing your own veggies is like printing your own money.

Marshfield Area Growing Together Community Gardens are celebrating their 14th year of providing area residents with a sunny space to grow fresh vegetables in rich compost while saving money. This year, the group is reaching out to new gardeners with an offer of a bed at its Church of Christ site on Felker Avenue for only $5. The group provides the water, raised bed, fencing, compost, mulch and instruction in square foot gardening techniques. Participants bring the seeds and willingness to learn how to grow their own food.

The community gardens benefit the Marshfield area in many ways, including improving access to fresh food, serving as sites for restoring and building health, and as places to learn gardening skills and build relationships. In 2008, a group of local leaders met to explore the possibility of providing a community gardening experience for the residents of the Marshfield area. This group represented the Marshfield Clinic Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, UW-Extension, Wood County Master Gardener Volunteers, and interested members of the community, who formed a Community Garden Committee.  Garden sites were established at First Presbyterian Church in 2009, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in 2010 and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church (now Church of Christ) in 2011.

The Garden Committee is grateful for each of the churches’ continued support for the gardening programs by generously providing water when rain is insufficient. Recent tree removal at the Church of Christ site made that location bright and sunny once again.

Following a change in partnership in 2020, each of the churches reaffirmed support for their garden sites, and the Community Garden Committee focused their energies on the core activities of community gardening. The Marshfield Area Community Foundation graciously accepted Marshfield Area Growing Together Community Gardens as a Sponsored Program and currently acts as the fiscal sponsor. 

Returning Community Gardeners are asked to make a $20 donation for each reserved four-foot by eight-foot compost-filled bed. Donations cover about half of the operating expenses, with grants and contributions as additional funding sources. Garden pathways are mulched annually with wood chips and a water source is available at all three sites. Gardeners have the opportunity to learn organic square foot and vertical gardening techniques, composting strategies, natural pest control and benefit from Master Gardener Volunteer supervision.

In addition to encouraging cooperation within the garden gates, the Marshfield Area Growing Together Community Gardens supports the work of other community organizations, such as the Soup or Socks Food Pantry, The Hannah Center and the Marshfield Clinic Health System YMCA youth program.

 If interested in saving money by growing your own produce and registering for a garden bed for the 2023 growing season, please email Barb Gillespie at [email protected]

Donations are always accepted to help keep this amazing program running smoothly as well.

Tagscommunity garden
Previous Article

Michigan theft suspects in Marshfield police custody 

Next Article

Marshfield Fire and Rescue offers Youth Firesetter ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • community garden first Presbyterian Church
    LocalOutdoors

    Registration now open for community gardens

    April 14, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • Governor William H. Upham House Mansion wood county master gardener volunteer association
    Opinion

    Stop and smell the roses

    August 24, 2015
    By Hub City Times
  • community garden first Presbyterian Church
    FoodLocalOutdoors

    Marshfield Growing Together Community Gardens open for registration

    May 2, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • community garden first Presbyterian Church
    Local

    Healthy Lifestyles Coalition holding community gardens cleanup, strategic planning meeting

    October 12, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • hub city times logo
    Local

    Ministry Home Care, Healthy Lifestyles-Marshfield Area Coalition seek volunteers

    February 12, 2017
    By Hub City Times
  • Community garden
    FeaturedLocal

    Group works to relaunch community garden

    April 29, 2022
    By Hub City Times

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×