Wakeman, Willard creating community gardens

Huron County Creating Healthy Communities Coalition has announced partnerships with Willard and Wakeman and plans for the creation of two large inclusive community gardens.

The Creating Healthy Communities grant awarded to Huron County Public Health by the Ohio Department of Health will fund the projects and installation of these two community gardens, according to a news release.

“Our hopes are that each year, we are able to implement a community garden in one or two communities throughout our county until each community, if wanted, has this wonderful amenity,” said Lindsey Leber, grant coordinator for Creating Healthy Communities.

The Willard Community Garden will be located on a city-owned green space property on North Main Street, according to the release.

The Wakeman Community Garden will be located on village-owned property behind the Village Office/ Police Department on Hyde Street, the release said.

“The vision for the two community gardens is to provide resources, access, knowledge, programming and ultimately empowerment of healthy eating to the residents of Wakeman and Willard,” Leber said.

The community gardens will offer free garden plots to residents, individuals and families of Wakeman and Willard to safely plant, maintain and harvest throughout the year, the release said.

There will be multiple size organic and nonorganic garden plots available.

“It was our mission to look at the barriers that some face within the two communities, and work to break those down and bridge the gaps so that we are able to provide access to the garden programs to all, no matter age or abilities,” Leber said. “We are very pleased at all of the amenities that we will be able to offer to the program participants.”

One wheelchair accessible raised garden bed and two additional raised garden beds will be available at each garden location to those participants with adaptive needs and may expand in future years based each community’s needs, the release said.

Free onsite water and a shed housing communal use garden tools and supplies will be available.

“Education is key to making lifestyle changing programs a success and that is why we will also be teaming up with some community partners and field experts to provide free programming to the garden participants,” Leber said.

Programming on various topics including nutrition, cooking and gardening will be available.