Bowden council has agreed to set aside roughly 163 square metres of land adjacent to the town's Old Library for a community garden.
The town's Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program recently hosted an open house on the topic of “Stretching Our Food Dollars” and seven attendees expressed interest at the gathering for a community garden.
That interest blossomed into a meeting on May 6 at the Old Library to discuss the garden concept and one priority that came out of the meeting was approaching the town for land.
Council gave its blessing to the garden idea at its May 13 meeting with the condition that, should the land being set aside for the project be needed for other community plans, the town could reclaim it.
The community members developing the garden concept are still drafting some rules for the garden but a report prepared by town staff stated gardeners would pay a $10 refundable rental fee for one of 12 three metre-by-three metre plots.
The money would be returned if participants comply with all garden rules.
Len Kobewka, a community garden consultant and volunteer with the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance, told council at the May 13 meeting that, beyond the seven community members who pushed for the garden concept, there is “other interest in the community.”
He said the site near the library is ideal for the garden as it has access to water and receives sunlight for a good portion of the day.
There are no “big dreams” for the garden such as sheds or drainage systems this year, he added, as community members interested in the garden idea just want to get the project off the ground.
Coun. Sandy Gamble expressed enthusiastic support for the garden concept and said gardening activities would not interfere with the nearby soccer pitch.
But Andy Weiss, the town's chief administrative officer, did express some concern about the project conflicting with a number of uses being considered for the nearby Centennial Park in the future.
Councillors Wayne Milaney and Patrick Doll, who was serving as acting mayor at the May 13 meeting, suggested the idea of using land near the town's water reservoir for the garden project.
That suggestion, however, was shot down over concerns about water access near the reservoir.
In the end, Coun. Cory Monk said he had no problem with the proposed location for the garden near the Old Library as long as a clause was included in the motion stating the land could be reclaimed for other uses if necessary.
Council agreed to this provision and passed the motion unanimously.
Kobewka, who left the meeting before council's decision, said the interested community members would start gardening activities over the Victoria Day long weekend if council approved the land allotment.
“If we get the go-ahead on it, we'll start the rototilling,” he said, adding the FCSS had a “couple hundred dollars” set aside for the project for rototilling and possibly a rope fence.
If the garden produces a “bumper crop” this year, Kobewka said, the food could be used for a fall harvest barbecue for the community.
