In the beginning days of the season, seeds have been planted and patches of green have sprouted throughout the Athens Community Gardens, hinting at promises of a good gardening year.
This year Athens Community Gardens, associated with Community Food Initiatives, has doubled their garden space, which is located in between the Ohio University driving range and West State Street Park.
The organization expanded from 27 gardens to over 40 this year, Rhonda Clark director of CFI said. It also has a large communal plot for corn and potatoes.
CFI is a non-profit group that promotes self-sufficiency in growing food in Athens. The gardens are their effort to make free space available for those who do not have room and would also like to give back to the community.
It is an opportunity for all residents to help the community develop through organic gardening, Clark said.
This year, CFI has made the gardens its main priority on a long list of other projects.
Tim Vickers has been a gardener with Athens Community Gardens for three years.
Vickers, who grew up on a farm north of Dayton, now is an administrator in the University College at OU. After spending many years overseas and living in apartments where he could not garden, he now visits the site about five days a week and has one of the largest plots.
Vickers said with a very busy schedule gardening is a very important hobby that reaps spiritual and psychological benefits for him.
I work with computers and technology and for me
gardening is the opposite end he said. I like to get my hands dirty work with the soil and watch things grow.
Steve Johnson, another gardener, said that while he likes to grow food and play in the dirt, he also likes knowing a portion of the food he grows is given to the community.
Gardeners are asked to donate 10 percent of what they produce back to CFI, who then distributes the food to local free meal programs, low-income families, soup kitchens and shelters, Clark said.
It is important to be a part of the community
Vickers said. I take from the community
therefore
I should give back
whether it is the air
water or space.
Vickers grows many Japanese vegetables, herbs and flowers in his garden. For the first time, this year he is trying to grow spinach, zucchini, exotic sunflowers and edible soybeans.
The garden's location is a perfect spot because of the rich soil from the Hocking River, said Rob Kaminski a member on the board of directors at CFI. The land belongs to the city, but CFI borrows it each year to carry out their initiatives.
The city is very open to the idea of the gardens
Clark said. I think they want to see the gardens succeed.
Talks are underway for CFI and the city to have a plan for five more years, Clark said. In the next five years they also plan to extend the gardens to within 10 or 20 feet of the bike path, add a kiosk with information about CFI and the gardens and plant fruit trees. They also hope to have more gardens in another section of town.
This year we hope to boost the community side of the gardens
said Kaminski. We plan to have specific days when everyone can go out there together and garden.
Excitement, experimentation, innovation and playfulness are all a part of the gardens this year, Vickers said. He said that everyone brings rich lively experiences to the gardens and learn from each other.
Gardening is like having a pet
he said. Health is not the absence of sickness
