One of the most positive things to come out of the local Wellmark Healthy Hometown initiative is the Nevada Community Garden.
Spearheaded by Luke Spence, the Community Garden is in its first planting season.
“What we just announced is that we have beds available now for the public,” Spence said.
Located in the southeast corner of the Evergreen Lane property (thanks to the generosity of the Nevada Historical Society), 24 total plots, either 4×10 feet or 4×12 feet in size, can be rented for the season.
“The cost is $60 for a raised bed or $40 for an inground bed,” Spence said. “For both, $10 is refundable after the plot is cleaned up at the end of the year.”
The Nevada Community Garden also has a 50×50-foot donation plot, overseen by approximately a dozen gardening enthusiasts, who call themselves the “Garden Gurus.”
The donation plot, Spence said, has already been planted with a variety of vegetables for this season. “We had tomato, potato, peppers and melon plants donated from the Nevada FFA, and a bunch of tomato plants donated by local resident Denny Harrison. You can see those things above-ground right now. The rest has been planted in the soil.”
Spence said many businesses and individuals have contributed to the early success of the garden. “I put out a call for tomato cages over the weekend, and I now have about three dozen of them,” he added.
The public is encouraged to visit the Nevada Community Garden page on Facebook to view all the recognition posts about the project donations. The Facebook page is also a place to find information on renting the available spaces.
“We have a form, available on Facebook, to fill out, or people can message our page for information,” Spence said. “They can also email us with questions at nevadacommunitygarden@gmail.com.”
If you love gardening and have time to help, Spence said they would soon be announcing a sign-up program for volunteers via the Nevada Community Garden Facebook page.
Spence and his wife, Stephanie, have three school-aged children and are excited about the Nevada Community Garden.
“I just love putting a little tiny seed in the ground, and you get a big plant full of vegetables,” he said. When they lived in Indiana, the Spences did a lot of gardening and a lot of canning and making salsa. In Nevada, they didn’t have enough space in their yard for a garden, so Spence became an advocate for a community garden space.
“It’s been an idea for five years,” he said. Spence has enjoyed finally seeing the project get off the ground.
If you’ve never had a garden and would like to learn, Spence encourages you to reach out to the Nevada Community Garden. “We do have a few Master Gardeners in our group. They’d be willing to give advice.”
—Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
