Lincoln County Grassroots Community Garden
By Robin Lindsey
In 2019, I started my job with the Lincoln County Health Department (LCHD) Passport Program. On my first day, I noticed the Grassroots Community Garden (GCG). I found the garden to be quite charming, but it never really captured my full attention. Last spring on a chilly overcast Monday morning, I turned into LCHD when a group of men captured my attention. Tilling the earth and chopping at the dark chunky wakes, they were carving out a new foundation for an eventual harvest. By then the entire LCHD staff had spent more than a year prioritizing Covid duties over our normal program responsibilities. We all were looking forward to reviving our programs and reconnecting to our community. The groundbreaking signaled the start of the new spring and inspired a new focus.
The gardeners worked the ground almost daily into a crumbly dark rich soil which soon revealed a well-planned layout of straight rows and spacious beds. As spring turned to summer, leafy vines slithered up and around trellises while tiny yellow blossoms dazzled in the sunlight. Irrigation systems nurtured the dense emerald leaves. As the plot grew into a luscious colorful garden, my curiosity built and I reached out to the garden caretakers.
I met Jerry Kaiser, head of the Sacred Heart men’s group community garden, on a very hot and humid Wednesday morning. The men were already hard at work, as usual, tilling and picking in the thick muggy air. The group of gardeners are members of the men’s group and some are friends of members. Most are Veterans and retired union members. Eleven men and DJ the dog make up the garden crew. The goal of the garden is to strategically grow and provide fresh produce to local families.
In 2021 during the pandemic, the GCG yielded 2000 pounds of produce. All of the produce is donated to St. Vincent DePaul and Bread for Life food pantries located in Troy and the Four Seasons Assisted Living facility in Moscow Mills. The garden is home to zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers. Pick days are coordinated with each food pantry’s open days and a typical pick day yields 30-40 pounds of fresh produce. Over the past few years, the garden experienced occasional midnight raids lowering their harvest to only two or three pounds. The men’s group continues its efforts to serve our community.
The Grassroots Community Garden is just one example of how our local health department connects to the community. Besides the community garden, folks come to vote at Lincoln County Health Department. Candidates and their supporters come to wave on Election Day. Groups hold meetings here. LCHD staff set up booths and attend many back-to-school open houses. Each day, people arrive at LCHD to receive services and participate in our programs. That’s hundreds of opportunities to connect to our community and inspire one another. The Sacred Heart Men's Club's consistent labor and love for the LCHD Grassroots Community Garden produced a beautiful bounty to benefit our community.
The Sacred Heart Men’s Club garden workers include:
Jerry Kaiser, Randy Brockman, Ray Silvey, Joe Clarkson, Pete Peterson, Scott Gibson, Matt Lloyd Baker, Bruce King, Randy Fennewald, Dan Anderson, and DJ the dog
