By Bill Welch
As spring arrives, even faced with our current challenges, gardening season comes with it. There is an old zen adage that when life is complicated one should remember to haul water and chop wood – go to the basics of life to center and find yourself.
“I would add to that, dig dirt!”
The Reach Out Lodi Community Garden is now open for gardeners to reserve a plot. The garden is located right by the ROL community center at 601 Clark Street. Plots that are 20’ x 20’ can be reserved for $20 on a first come, first served basis. Some half plots may be available. There is water and tools available there…all you need to bring is your seeds and plants and enthusiasm!
The Community Garden is there to give individuals and families the opportunity to grow food and flowers. A well planned garden plot can produce up to $800 worth of food. There is a satisfaction one feels when you produce food for your table with your own hands. If you are new to gardening there is help available from experienced gardeners to assist and mentor you.
Originally started by the Friends of Scenic Lodi Valley in 2010, the garden has operated in a couple of locations over the years. When the Friends disbanded two years the sponsorship of the garden was taken over by Reach Out Lodi. The community gardens of today are loosely modeled after the victory gardens of World Wars I and II and share some of the goals of farmers markets. Growing food at home is one step in sustainable living.
Community gardens are a fixture in many communities from the large gardens in Madison to the smaller ones in Prairie du Sac and Lodi. They give people access to safe, healthy, and culturally appropriate food they grow themselves. A by-product of the gardens is an increase in social connectedness and community well-being. Gardeners share their expertise and experiences with each other and make new friends. Extra produce is often shared among themselves as well as with the community food pantry, seniors, and friends.
For more information contact Reach Out Lodi at (608) 592-4592.
The form to reserve a plot may be downloaded from LVC: Reserve Form.doc
The Lodi Valley Chronicle welcomes well-written and insightful contributions from a range of guest authors. The Chronicle is “Lodi’s Newspaper”, and we encourage community participation in to help continue our coverage of events, adventures, and engaged members of our great community.
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