Calling all gardeners

Individuals who are looking to start gardening, or who might want to sharpen up their skills, have the chance to do so all while meeting other gardeners in their neighborhood at the upcoming Community Garden Summit hosted by Metro Parks Tacoma (MPT) and sponsored by the Cascade Land Conservancy.

According to Janet Bissell, wellness coordinator for MPT, this summit came out of a direct need in the community.

“We keep hearing that we need more community gardens. We’re looking at ‘food desserts’ in Tacoma, areas where there is not a lot of fresh produce in the South End/East Side, and we want more availability,” Bissell said. “We thought, how can we get people to ban together and create community gardens? Or, how can individuals get motivated to start growing in patios and backyards and start creating their own food?”

After contemplating those questions, Bissell planned an all-day event that offers a one-stop gardening information stop right in time for spring.

Mayor Marilyn Strickland will be in attendance to kick things off and show support for the event, gardeners and the future community gardens that will bloom in the city. Next up, Carrie Little from Mother Earth Farms, who was the local farmer in the running for the National Farmer position for President Obama’s garden, will speak about the importance of growing food at home. In addition, she will give out tips, and a panel of community members including Sumner City Councilman Randy Hynek, Andrew Mordhorst, founder of the Dan Mulholland Memorial Garden and more will speak to share with folks their experiences with starting gardens, what they’ve learned, what didn’t work and more during a Q&A session.

A special healthy lunch, made with local, seasonal vegetables, will provide the opportunity for new and seasoned gardens to network with others in their neighborhoods, and puts an emphasis on getting to know neighbors a bit.

A hands-on workshop will show attendants how to create their own spiral garden, which is done by using hay bales to create a cone shape so that the planting goes around and upwards, rather than just on the ground. This method of gardening allows growers to maximize small spaces.

“We have a permaculturist, Michele Dryden-Pratt of Heart & Soil, coming in to show how to grow lots of produce in a small space,” Bissell affirmed. “The other half of the workshop will be led by Hal Meng, who does workshops with people with disabilities. He teaches adaptive yoga for Metro Parks, and works in the inclusion portion of community gardening with people that can’t bend into a raised bed, or in wheelchairs who may have difficulty getting down on their knees in the garden.” Terry Carkner of Terry’s Berries Farms will be finishing things off, and is motivated with information that individuals need to get their gardens growing.

Anyone interested in growing food for themselves, their families or for their communities can learn all that is needed to start digging at the Community Garden Summit. If the event goes well, a series may begin in July with the next summit expanding the program.

The Community Garden Summit will take place on Saturday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Manitou Community Center, located at 4806 S. 66th St. Please call and RSVP a spot as soon as possible so that a lunch can be reserved in your name. To RSVP visit http://www.cascadeland.org/events/summit, and for more information, call Janet Bissell at (253) 312-4458 or email .

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