New Richmond residents may soon be able to grow vegetables and other produce in a community garden that is being planned for the village.
“It is a great concept,” Dave Kennedy, village administrator, said.
Kennedy said the village is providing land for the garden, which will be located at the end of Willow Street near the skate park, and will also help prepare the land to be garden-ready.
“We have so much land left over from the mitigation process and the lands have limited uses,” Kennedy said. “A community garden falls perfectly into the use.”
Kennedy worked with Bev Funk and Heidi Nykolayko to develop the idea, and now Funk and Nykolayko are attending a class together and working with residents who are interested in maintaining the garden.
“I have been thinking about it for a long time,” Funk said about the community garden. “And when I found out they had all this property, I thought it was a great idea.”
Funk said she will not be participating in the gardening, but wanted residents to have an opportunity to work together and be able to grow fresh, healthy food.
“I want to get this started so people can continue to do it,” Funk said. “It is something good, it is taking land that is being wasted and making it work.”
Funk said details about how the garden works will be up to those who become part of the project. She said they are planning to have separated plots available for residents for $20 per year, but will also have an area for groups to have a garden.
She said they are planning to work with New Richmond Boys and Girls Club to hopefully get children involved with the garden as well.
“I hope to see lovely gardens and a group of people who almost feel like family because that is what happens when you do stuff like this,” Funk said. “And I hope to help the kids too.”
Funk said they would like to get things going with the garden this year.
She said New Richmond residents who are interested in participating can contact Heidi Nykolayko at (715) 499-0257 or northern.heidi@gmail.com for more information.