Southview gets a community garden

By Mo Cranker on June 25, 2018.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

A couple dozen people gathered Saturday morning at Southview Community School to put together and plant the area’s first community garden.

The idea and initial planning for the project took place about a year ago and eventually the school was able to get the supplies necessary to make the garden come to life.

“It’s exciting for the school,” said principal Todd Samuelson. “About a year ago McMan Parent Link put in a proposal to put in a community garden at the school and then a staff member here spearheaded it and really helped make it happen.

“Now we’re out here today executing on those plans and we’re hoping to get things done today.”

Samuelson says the garden will help the school and surrounding community put healthy eating in the spotlight.

“It’s a great way to bring the community together and promote healthy lifestyles,” he said. “At Southview we’re really about bringing people together, as well as living a healthy life.

“It will also really compliment some of the other projects on the go while showing the students where their food comes from — we want them to appreciate that seed to table process.”

The school has a few boxes set up with a variety of vegetables planted, but none of it would be possible without community support, says co-ordinator Shelly Lagran.

“In the past few weeks so many businesses have stepped up and helped us out in one way or another,” she said. “On top of that, we have so many great people helping out today with getting everything set up.

“It’s just amazing for us.”

Lagran says she hopes to see the garden as something people can bond over.

“People throw the word community around a lot, but we really want families in the area to get behind this garden, work together on it and share the bounty,” she said. “We want people to come out and learn from other families how to garden, or can and freeze food.

“That’s our goal with it — putting healthy foods into kitchens around the community is a big part of it as well.”

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