Prairie Community Garden is well established

• Prairie Community Garden steering committee members

Getting an early start on work at the Prairie Community Garden are, clockwise from front, steering committee members, Charlene and Tim Sackett, gardeners Jeri Dimler and Tom Hennes, steering committee members Nancy Heck and Jerry Adams, and founder Frank Phillips. They’re sitting on a picnic table built by Jim Guhl as an Eagle Scout project. Photo by Randy Hanson

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• PHOTO GALLERY: Prairie Community Garden

The Prairie Community Garden has arrived, according to founder Frank Phillips.

Now ready for its third spring planting, the garden on land owned by Faith Community Church has a post office box (P.O. Box 1426, Hudson, WI 54016), an email address (prairiecommunitygarden@yahoo. com), a Facebook page, a bank account, a steering committee, rules, bylaws and plenty of gardeners.

“We’re in now. It’s almost to the point where I can just watch,” the personable Phillips says.

It was his idea three years ago to approach the elder board at Faith Community Church, 777 Carmichael Road, about breaking vacant ground on the church property and inviting community members to use it for gardening.

Thirty-four individuals and families have signed up to garden a plot this year. The fee of $15 for the first plot, and $10 for the second if one is available, covers the expenses of maintaining the garden.

Steering committee member Tim Sackett says the gardeners are a diverse group.

“There’s people out here who grow because they need the food, and there’s other who grow just for a hobby,” Sackett said.

Phillips says people have benefitted “in mind body and soul” from the garden.

There are a few remaining plots open this year that would be ideal for senior citizens or people with a physical disability, Phillips said. The plots are accessible by vehicle.

For more information, send an email to the yahoo.com address.

Tags: home and garden, lifestyle, garden, food