Community garden grows in Coupeville

Folks who would like to grow vegetables, but don’t have the space, have another option.

Coupeville’s community garden project is starting up its second growing season and town officials are looking for gardeners.

Starting last year, the town used part of the field located behind Living Hope Four Square Church to provide residents with a space for gardening.

“I think it was a great success. It came together rapidly with the help of volunteers,” Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard said.

The garden offers 60 10-foot-by-12-foot plots. Last year, participants grew everything from tomatoes to sunflowers in the community garden. Conard said that several participants used more than one piece of land and some even donated all of the food they grew to the Gifts from the Heart food bank, which operates out of an old fire station in Coupeville.

She said the favorable growing conditions last year also helped for a successful year.

“Everybody had more tomatoes than they could eat,” Conard said.

The local food bank is encouraging involvement in the community garden as well.

Molly Hughes, president of Gifts from the Heart food bank, said the organization is offering scholarships to families interested in growing food. Those scholarships will pay the modest, $30 fee needed to ensure a spot in the garden. That fee goes toward paying for such costs as water and the staff time needed to prepare the field at the start of the season.

There will also be special events for the participating gardeners throughout the growing season. Conard said that local farmers will offer workshops for the gardeners to help fine-tune their skills. She said events that will take place during the spring and summer include a compost bin demonstration, a plant sale and a seed swap.

Applications are currently being accepted to participate in the community garden. For more information call the town of Coupeville at 678-4461.

Contact Whidbey News Times Staff reporter Nathan Whalen at nwhalen@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5058.

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