By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Barton County Conservation District announced a community learning
garden will be created at the Barton County Historical Museum. The Victory
Garden will provide county residents hands-on experience with starting a home
vegetable garden and gaining the skills needed to ensure a bountiful harvest.
"The Conservation District is ultimately heading up the organizing of volunteers," said Barton County Conservation District Manager Veronica Coons. "That includes people teaching classes, mostly master gardeners. We'll also get groups that want to volunteer. We have interest from a couple of youth organizations."
Together, the Conservation District and volunteers from the Master Gardener
program will provide instruction about soil and water conservation, seed
starting, garden layout, growing and care of food plants.
"The garden's primary purpose is for us to teach classes," said Coons. "The secondary purpose is going to be as an educational place associated with the museum. There will be interpretive exhibits out there for people to connect to the Victory Garden concept."
The public is invited to attend the kick-off event Sept. 21 at
4:30 p.m. as volunteers will begin work on preparing the initial garden space
so it will be ready for planting in the spring. The garden is located on the
north end of the museum on south U.S. 281 Highway.
“Across the country, there’s growing interest in local food production,” said Coons. “Rising food and fuel prices also have families looking for ways to stretch their food budget. Growing a home vegetable garden is one way people from all walks of life can take some control over their own situation.”
Produce from the Victory Garden will benefit the community through donations to
county food banks.
Beginning in the spring of 2023, three seasonal multi-week classes will focus on spring, summer and fall gardening. Classes will be free, but limited in size so all participants will have hands-on experience in the garden. In addition, one-off classes will offer the public opportunities to learn about timely garden practices.