Community garden produces for food bank

The labors of those involved in the Issaquah Flatlands Community Garden are starting to bear fruit, in more ways than one. Begun by Sustainable Issaquah and AtWork! as a way to increase the participation of locals in their food networks, and improve awareness of the social and economic benefits of gardening, the garden also had the goal of contributing to food banks and providing fresh fruit and vegetables to those in need. For this purpose, six plots were set aside, and a number of local businesses, including Hayes Nursery, Squak Mountain Nursery, Lowes, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, as well as Seattle Tilth and Kiwanis of Issaquah, donated plants and equipment to the cause. This week, just a few short months after the soil in them was first turned, those six plots are a cornucopia of fully grown and growing crops, spurred on by one of the best growing seasons in recent memory. On Tuesday, AtWork! gardeners Dennis Wajda, Mike Hardy and Margaret Padilla picked squash, zucchini, herbs and other products of their garden, to be delivered to the Issaquah Food Bank. Last week, volunteer workers delivered 26 pounds of zucchini, pickles and squash, seven heads of rommaine lettuce and half a bag of arugula to the food bank, the first of what will be a continuing series of donations. Standing beside the towering plants and laden vines, Wadja told The Reporter that garden organizers had been fortunate to have such perfect whether this season, and that as a result they were able to begin donating to the food bank sooner than they had expected. “There’s going to be tons of food, just tons,” he said. “Of course, after the harvest in a few months, we hope to put in some winter crops, and continue to make donations all year round.” For more information on the garden, and on the work of Sustainable Issaquah, go to www.sustainableissaquah.org/

Contact Issaquah Reporter Staff Writer Jake Lynch at editor@issaquah-reporter.com.

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