Our Garden
History of our garden
Started in 1994, our garden began with just a few raised beds. Over the following years, the garden gradually grew into the current 15,000 square feet and 52 raised garden beds that we now work with.
In 2011, we introduced a water catchment system, which holds 10,000 gallons of rainwater and helps us save on water costs with the City.
That same year, Food Share harvested 2,600 pounds of produce. In 2012, we erected our first High Tunnel greenhouse, which allows us to grow vegetables nearly year-round. With the help of this greenhouse, we harvested 6,000 pounds of produce in 2012.
Every year our production continues to increase, and in 2013, we harvested over 9,000 pounds of fresh vegetables! In May of 2014, we erected our second High Tunnel greenhouse. With the addition of this second greenhouse, we harvested over 10,000 pounds of produce in 2015, and just under 10,000 in 2016.
In 2017, we installed our 5th 2,500-gallon water catchment tank, bringing our total water catchment capacity to 12,500 gallons.
Here in our famous and highly-productive garden, we produce seasonal greens and vegetables to supplement the pantry’s other goods. Through the careful stewardship of our head gardener Bart Mealer, and a team of volunteers, our garden produces an average annual yield of 10,000 pounds of food.
We have 48 4ft X 20ft beds, 14 of which are in two large greenhouses called “high tunnels,” where we grow year-round. All our garden items are grown from seed, other than our onion starts, and all pesticides and nutrients used are 100% organic. All grown food goes to our fellow community members in need.
Visitors are welcome during open hours. Applications for new garden volunteers are always welcome!
Food We Grow
Bell Peppers
Beets (Red & Yellow)
Broccoli
Cabbage (Napa & Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Garlic
Green Beans
Leeks
Onions (Green, Yellow, Red)
Potatoes (Yukon Gold & Pontiac Reds)
Peppers (Hot Jalapeño, Fresno, Hatch)
Spinach (Winter & Summer)
Tomatoes
Rain Water Recovery System
In 2011, we introduced a water catchment system, which holds 10,000 gallons of rainwater and helps us save on water costs with the City. That same year, Food Share harvested 2,600 pounds of produce. In 2012, we erected our first High Tunnel greenhouse, which allows us to grow vegetables nearly year round. With the help of this greenhouse, we harvested 6,000 pounds of produce in 2012. Every year our production continues to increase, and in 2013, we harvested over 9,000 pounds of fresh vegetables! In May of 2014, we erected our second High Tunnel greenhouse. With the addition of this second greenhouse, we harvested over 10,000 pounds of produce in 2015, and just under 10,000 in 2016. In 2017, we installed our 5th 2,500 gallon water catchment tank, bringing our total water catchment capacity to 12,500 gallons.
One of the best ways to reduce hunger is more locally-grown food, in the hands of those who need it. Helping folks with tips and tricks to utilize their grow space, in easy, effective, and creative ways, is one of the many ways we can fight hunger in our community. There are many effective techniques to utilize limited grow space, from newspaper-lined food cans for starts, to plastic totes full of dirt, almost everyone can grow fresh veggies that are healthy and extremely tasty!
Learn great gardening skills and help out the community!
Applications for new garden volunteers are always welcome! We always appreciate having contact details of people willing to help in the garden. Because of the nature of gardening, the number of volunteer hours needed in the garden changes with the seasons. Call in or stop by and we can update you with our seasonal gardening needs.
