I never knew that planting a People’s Garden could be so fulfilling.
The Muscatine County Farm Service Agency office in Iowa teamed up with the Durant Children’s Group and the Campus for Kids — both non-profit organizations — to create a container People’s Garden.
Work for the garden started at the Muscatine FSA office where pepper and tomato plants were grown from seeds. We then donated the seedlings to the children’s organizations and began helping them establish the garden.
We asked the children’s parents to donate containers, potting soil and mulch. Some were willing to donate, but for the remainder of the supplies I went to the local Farm and Fleet store and asked if they would either donate or give us a discount on all their open bags of soil, rock and mulch. They donated enough to get the garden started. A dwarf apple tree and a blueberry bush were donated by a pre-school teacher.
The garden was placed by the play area so the kids could look at it whenever they wanted. I had to plant the tomatoes at home in my garden due to Iowa’s Department of Health’s rules that state that the green leaf of the plant is harmful to kids. I also planted other vegetables for the kids at my home.
I have had a blast with this project. My husband and I also farm, so I am able to share my knowledge of farming with the kids and discuss the importance of growing healthy. Once harvested, we will can the tomatoes and freeze the peppers for us to use during the winter. It would be a great reminder to the kids that they are eating what they grew.
After doing this project I hope I may have planted a seed that may sprout one of these young children into a farmer when they grow up.
—by Kari Barker, program technician, Muscatine County, Iowa, FSA
