3 days ago
Local joint Community Garden kicks off planting
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — With summer quickly approaching, a community garden co-op has started its summer planting and even received some help from local community high school football players.
Johnstown Grows, a community garden comprised of ten Johnstown gardens, combines funds to make repairs and improvements. It also ensures that multiple garden managers can learn from one another while they learn through classes at the Penn State Extension's Master Gardeners program.
It even recently welcomed three Westmont Hilltop High School football players to begin weeding and planting vegetables, a testament to the community it wishes to foster.
In addition to the ten gardens already in the collaborative venture, two new gardens will be added this year as well. The Beginnings, Inc.'s Parents as Teachers Garden in Dale Borough and the Greater Johnstown Community YMCA's Garden. With summer camps soon underway at the YMCA, the garden will be maintained by the enrolled kids and volunteers.
'We are using the garden to teach the kids about community, volunteerism, and the process of growing flowers and vegetables from start to finish,' YMCA Youth and Family Coordinator Jolie Carey said. 'Our organization thrives on community involvement and developing our youth, so we are excited to get our kids involved while also providing our whole community with nutritious resources or just a place to sit and enjoy!'
If you are interested in joining an already established community garden or starting your own, reach out to Nan McNinney, the Center for Population Health Local Food Systems Coordinator at info@
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