BRIGHTON — School District 27J officials expect the district’s community garden to be more productive than ever in its third year of operation.
This year the garden, located behind the district’s educational services building, contains typical vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuces, spinach, beans, potatoes and onions. There are also about a dozen fruit trees such as apple, cherry, peach, pear and plumb to harvest from, Lopez said.
Due to some very hungry rabbits, the garden added 10 raised beds this year, which Lopez said seem to be working. She said green beans, peas and cabbage have never been successful but expects the raised beds will change that. The garden was also expanded an extra 3,000 square feet to allow for vining crops such as squash, melons and pumpkins.
“Last year we did a lot – 1,000 pounds of produce — and that wasn’t with all of our beds being productive…so we’re hoping to have a really high yield this year,” she said.
The 27J wellness committee operates the garden in conjunction with the Tri-County Health Department’s Womens, Infants and Childrens program, but is open to anyone in the community, Lopez said. She said WIC has been able to provide funding to help supervise the garden.
“The whole concept of the garden is, if you work the garden, then you’re eligible to benefit from it, so you don’t have to buy a plot or any of that type of stuff,” she said.
Lopez said the response from the community has been great so far.
“The people who know about it really like it and a lot of them are grateful that they have an opportunity to get fresh produce and that it’s free,” she said. “They’re appreciative and a lot of people like to come out and do gardening but live in rental property.”
The community garden, 18551 E. 160th Ave., is open from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday and from 8 to 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month.