Lawrence community members gathered Wednesday to celebrate a new “enhanced” garden space at Just Food, the Douglas County food bank.
The expanded garden will produce healthy, fresh food for families who come to the food bank. The space includes a tea garden with native plants, raised beds that are accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and an outdoor classroom to help people learn how to garden sustainably.
Ali Curbow, director of development for Just Food, said the organization was able to add 36 garden beds with a donation from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and they’ll be building a shade pavilion as well. A grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation’s Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund will sponsor a fence.
Danielle McCarville, community access manager for Just Food, said she started work with the organization about a year ago, and one of the first things she heard about was the donation backing this garden. She said her father was a landscaper for 20 years. He died last summer, but she was able to share this with him before he died, and he was “beyond tickled.”
McCarville told those in attendance that she hopes to add pawpaw trees and elderberry to the garden. She said Native Lands Restoration Collaborative would be helping with lessons in native plants, composting properly and more.
“Education is the biggest part of all of this,” she said. “It leads to being more self-sustaining. It leads to a better community. People get to know each other out here and help each other.”
Anyone can apply to have one of the garden beds. Learn more on Just Food’s website at justfoodks.org/justgrow.
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Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a junior at Free State High School. He is also a video editor for Free State’s student publication, where he works as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
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