One of the more satisfying things I've been involved with lately is the first community garden in a small rural town, Sequim Washington, in the northwest corner of the country.

The idea came from a couple of High School seniors who wanted to do something to save our rapidly disappearing farmland.  They soon decided they didn't have the financial resources to take on that concern.   Still wanting to positively impact the community, they switched to a more manageable concept of a community garden, accessible to in-town individuals and families, where they could grow healthful, organic food of their choosing.

Planning for the garden proceeded in fits and starts, and stops.  Before it could actually progress, the kids graduated and moved on to other concerns.  The rest of the organizing committee remained committed to the idea that a diverse group of people could take control of some of their food needs and to learn to grow their own healthful, organic food.  Ultimately we connected with one of the churches in town who had an abundance of both land and a sense of community responsibility.

                    

There was a lot to be done in a short period of time and the local community came together as we never could have imagined.  A small tractor operator tilled the field twice, one of the local Rotary organizations not only put up a fence around the garden to help block the wind but paid for the cedar fencing.  Two banks gave us grants for infrastructure, including getting water to the garden, putting in wheel-chair accessible paths and water filters to eliminate the chlorine from our city water.   A "big box" store gave us a huge discount on a shed to store the tools that were donated by individuals.  The local farm and garden center donated the three hydrants we needed for our watering system plus bags of organic fertilizer.  A local individual milled the solid 2" thick cedar boards and put together five 2' high 4x8' beds, accessible to those who weren't able to garden at ground level.  A local soil company provided the soil for the beds.  Another mill donated several yards of beautiful alder chips for non-path areas.  It was amazing to see these diverse parts of our town come together and show such generosity and pride in the outcome to which they all contributed.

The garden is now in its second season.  The first year we filled 20 of our 30 plots and provided classes in organic gardening for 30 people.  This year we had a waiting list for plots and 60 people in classes.  Classes are free to plot holders (who pay $35 for their plots) and community members who want to get started growing organically on their own property pay $25.  Each season we have a pot-luck in June and then a harvest pot-luck in October.   

                          

The classes aren't designed to create expert organic gardeners but to get people through their first growing season successfully.  There are about 10 class sessions and field trips to local organic gardens where, by comparison, they can see that there are a lot of ways to grow successfully organically and that experimentation, successes and some failures are all part of the process.

Plot holders tend to live in the city.  Sometimes they have lesser means than those who come just for the classes - who normally have their own land.  In bringing these two parts of community together with those who have volunteered time, garden necessities and money, we've found some of our greatest satisfaction as we all share ideas, materials and learning.  One of our biggest 'crops' has been a budding sense of positive community diversity.

                               

The name of our garden is The Community Organic Garden of Sequim, COGS.  The shortened name is an indicator of how the diverse aspects of community have come together as cogs to turn a wheel that makes positive things happen for our community and individuals.

See the COGS site at http://cogs.thecascadian.net/