‘Lettuce’ help get you growing this spring: North Iowa guide to community gardening | Agriculture

Stores are filling seasonal aisles with gardening supplies, and people are strolling down the sidewalk once again. This weather also provides an opportunity to ease the financial burden on North Iowans: gardening.

Supply-chain issues from truck drivers to a lack of produce workers have manifested as empty shelves throughout the nation. With growing inflation and increased demand, the price of groceries has risen seven percent since 2020, and is expected to rise another three percent in 2022, according to the USDA. The price of farm-level fruits and vegetables are expected to rise up to four percent this year as well. With food prices and demand continuing to rise, North Iowans have the opportunity to seek other options with or without a backyard.

Community gardening is available throughout North Iowa, and has shown numerous benefits to individuals and the community. Community gardens provide numerous health benefits, improve access to food, provide better nutrition, increase physical activity, improve mental health, as well as promote social health and community cohesion, according to a study published by Oxford University Press.

Iowa is known for its rich soil and community, but not everyone has the space to grow enough food to be self-sufficient. Typically garden sizes need to range from 200-4,000 square feet for an individual to grow their own food, depending on their diet, according to numerous online sources. For those who don’t have the space, or are just beginning, the area has many community gardens to get started and learn to work with the ground.

Belmond Children’s Garden has been overseen by Mary Hawley since 2000 and donates produce to the United Methodist Church. The city of Hanlontown has a community Garden Club that meets the second Thursday of each month in the Community Center. Clark Street Community Garden in Charles City has opened its plots to anyone interested, thanks to the Grow Iowa grant. Plots are free, and requests can be made by calling Christy Laube at the Charles City Development Office at 641-228-4234.

The Forest City Community Garden welcomes volunteers, and asks that those who take produce contribute to the garden in return. Their page can be found on Facebook. Britt also welcomes volunteers to help with their community garden, which donates all unpicked produce to the local food bank in Britt.

Mason City also has two community gardens. Garden Acres is located at the 900 block of South Kentucky Ave, and Willow Creek Garden is located at First Street Southwest and South Madison Avenue. These locations have water access. 20×20 plots are $40, and 20×40 plots cost $60. Garden applications and rules can be found at https://www.masoncity.net/pview.aspx?id=48784&catid=0.

Clear Lake Church of Christ offers a free community garden on the north side of their property. The garden offers organic and non-organic plots around 10×30 feet. Plots are first-come, first-served, and applications can be found online at http://www.clcciowa.com/community-garden.html.

Cerro Gordo, Wright, Mitchell, Franklin and Floyd county have received grants from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s SNAP Education Program. These “Growing Together Mini-Grants” were given to donation gardens and community gardens in the county to increase the amount of produce for food pantry’s and low income families in the area.