MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (SNN) — Neighborhood meetings confirmed the desire for a community garden in Elwood Park.
Manatee County Commissioners invested $150,000 to make it happen.
The goal is to uphold the rich agricultural heritage in the community dating back to the early 1900s.
County crews have been working on completing the community garden at 4008 39th St. E. in Bradenton for weeks.
It all began when John and Janyel Taylor of Ralph Taylor’s Nurseries noticed the previously empty plot during their drive.
“We passed this half-acre lot and just noticed it was unused and had this idea that, boy, we could grow a lot of lettuce at the right time of year and sell it to some of our friends who own restaurants,” said John.
The Taylors, fueled by their passion for gardening, presented the idea to Manatee County District 2 Commissioner, Amanda Ballard.
“I represent a district that suffers from a lot of food desert areas. There are a lot of areas that are just kind of underserved when it comes to fresh, local produce,” said Ballard. “And so this gives citizens the ability to really grow their own food and learn a little bit more about gardening.”
The garden includes two ADA-accessible beds with concrete surroundings for easier access.
“We saw opportunities where we had community members who couldn’t garden and the county was gonna be able to put handicap accessible beds in and so now it’s creating a new opportunity for them,” said John.
Two beds will be dedicated to children’s gardening and education.
“Typically we will meet in the garden, I’ll have some materials for people to look at, to touch, to plant, to work with,” said Community Garden Specialist Mack Lessig. “I will go through and show people how to do those things. Either planting seeds, planting trees, planting shrubs, identifying pests, identifying diseases. All the things that are required for good vegetable cultivation.”
A storage shed is equipped with gardening tools, rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, soil and more. Two large composting bins and water connections are provided, and a play area is available for children less inclined towards plant care.
“It’s a really cohesive community with that great agricultural background and so, it just made sense and the whole community immediately got behind the idea,” said Ballard.
Manatee County residents can register for a membership with 34 available spots at $25 a year for a 4-by-8-foot plot.
The garden is scheduled to officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 13.
