Community Garden gets planted Memorial Day at City Hall
June 1st, 2010
Abe Waite shoveling compost for the Community Garden at City Hall (Photo Brad Camp: Kitsap Sun)
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND —
In a few weeks, visitors to City Hall will be able to get a summer squash with their building permit, a bit of broccoli with their business license and a vine-ripened, heirloom tomato before giving testimony to the City Council.
“I want people to see City Hall differently — that it’s our public land, and that it works for us and with us,” said Sallie Maron, one of about a dozen mud-streaked, rain-soaked volunteers who planted the grounds there with more than 40 vegetable starts on Monday morning.
The kale, cauliflower, strawberries and other crops are free for the taking.
“It’s for people in need or people who just want to try some fresh food,” said Brian MacWhorter, an island farmer who donated many of the organic vegetable starts. “It’s just public food. It’s a great concept.”
The idea of planting free food around City Hall came out of a talk given by author Darrin Nordahl at the IslandWood environmental learning center in April. Nordahl was promoting his book, “Public Produce: The New Urban Agriculture,” which calls for the enlistment of public lands to increase the availability of fresh, healthy foods.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/may/31/bainbridge-island/#ixzz0pdfuCGwQ
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