Community Garden Grows On Plot Near Square

CITY SEEKS VOLUNTEER HELP

LINCOLN — The vegetables are planted, growing and more volunteers are needed at Lincoln’s community garden to help with weeding and eventually picking fresh produce later this summer.

Jim Sposato, a master gardener and retired Lincoln teacher and coach, is excited about the new garden that will provide fresh vegetables for Lincoln Senior Center and Grace Place. Sposato said the produce may be available to the public at some point, possibly from an area set up on the square for people to come by and pick up fresh vegetables for their family.

Mayor Rob Hulse approached Sposato about a community garden project last year and Sposato said he was more than willing to help. The garden is located on vacant city land near the square. It is about 100 feet by 60 feet with room to expand in the future. One idea is to allow Lincoln citizens to come in and plant individual gardens on the land.

Everyone helping with the garden is a volunteer. Some people come out on their own and others come as groups. The school district’s Adventure Club and FFA Chapter are two school groups that have volunteered. Lincoln 4-H Club also has helped.

The city has received cash donations and in-kind dona- tions from individuals, school groups and businesses for plants and other materials for the garden.

Vegetables planted at the community garden include Beefsteak and Jet Star tomatoes, onions, two types of polebeans, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, okra, sweet corn, zucchini squash and butternut squash. The garden has 14 rows that are each 100 feet long.

Volunteers are in the process of installing a drip tape to provide an irrigation system for the garden.

“This is a good project we all are doing,” Sposato said.

The need right now, though, is volunteers. With all the rain, weeding needs to be done and Sposato said the first produce should be ready to be picked within a few weeks.

To volunteer, contact Sposato at (479) 856-8232 or (479) 824-3300.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Jim Sposato, a master gardener and retired Lincoln teacher and coach, stands in front of a new community garden that will be used to provide fresh vegetables for Lincoln Senior Center and GRACE Place. Sposato is one of several volunteers heading up the...