Three guests attended the February 2, 2010 Grand Marais Park Board meeting to ask for space in the rec park for a community garden similar to the one created at WTIP Radio last summer. Melinda Spinler of the Northwoods Food Project said some people in Grand Marais have no space to grow their own food, an endeavor that enhances both nutrition and mental health.
Spinler suggested that a community garden could encourage a sense of community between year-round and seasonal residents. “The summer residents: they’re our people, too!” she said.
People with community garden space could beautify the park with flowers as well as produce, Joan Farnam said. Northwoods Food Project members could share their expertise – some park guests from places with hotter summers and different soil might not know how to get things to grow on the shore of Lake Superior. She plans to encourage gardeners with a surplus to sell their products at the weekly farmer’s market in downtown Grand Marais. “It would be so cool,” she said. She suggested offering 2/3 of a rec park community garden to seasonal residents and 1/3 to year-round residents.
Some fees would be assessed each gardener to help pay for water and increase personal investment in the project, Farnam said, but Northwoods Food Project members are available to help write grants to help fund the garden.
A lot of park guests wish they could have a garden or participate in a garden club, Park Manager Dave Tersteeg said.
Park staff is quite busy in the summer, Walt Mianowski pointed out.
A garden club could help prepare the garden at the beginning of the summer, Tersteeg answered. He did not think a community garden would take a lot of staff time.
Todd Miller said he supports the project, but wondered if it would conflict with the extensive master plan the board finished last summer. “This should have been part of that,” he said. “How do we stand true to what we did for the last two years?” A community garden is not on the site map that was created out of the master plan process. He would hate to see their work undone, he said.
“I think this project fits into our goals and policies,” said park board member and city councilor Bill Lenz. Tersteeg concurred, saying the master plan supports multiple uses by a variety of people. He cited master plan policy 2.2, which characterizes the park as “a hub of community activity for the entire county.” In addition, goal 3 states, “The recreation park should appeal to a wide range of users – residents of the city, the county, and visitors.” Policy 3.1 states, “Proposed uses will be evaluated based on wide user benefit.”
The board discussed possible garden locations that were as far away from the lake as possible and that did not conflict with the master plan site map. Park board member Robin DuChein volunteered to work with the Northwoods Food Project on the specifics of the proposed garden. TheNorthwoods Food Project would be available for technical consultation, but the rec park would be in control of the garden.
In a separate phone interview, Tersteeg said, “It’s an activity that will bring the community down into the park.”
Tersteeg endorses the concept of a garden club in the park. He would like to see the park’s entry points beautified with flowers. Annuals in containers were a “big hit” in the park a couple of years ago, he said. If this were a success, he could see five other similar gardens springing up around the community.
” Based on costs for the garden site at WTIP, the cost of this project is estimated at around $4,150 and includes excavation, black dirt, manure, fencing, and rain barrels. Labor would be provided by volunteers.
Thisproject would be the type that could qualify for a State Health Improvement Program (SHIP) grant, Tersteeg said. The program has awarded grants for other community gardens. Applications for its next round of grants are due in May.
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