Community garden welcomes green thumbs

Nestled between the frying frisbees, soccer games and back yards is an enterprise for anyone interested in growing some of their own produce.

Sidney's community garden is for anyone who wants to develop a small section of ground for fruits, vegetables or flowers. It is administered by a co-op of sorts. If you are involved, you have a say in how it is managed. Known as the Sidney Secret Garden," it is hiding in plain sight with nearby homes, biking and walking paths and the disc golf and soccer fields.

It started when Dana Revell sought a way to start a community garden. The task then was where to implement it, and how. She said she looked around Sidney for a location. When there was property available, the location did not have water service. She met with City Manager Ed Sadler. The discussion lead to use of 5 ½ acres located near the Western Nebraska Community College campus. The community garden is near a future drainage project.

The property is divided into 20-feet by 20-feet plots. Each person who agrees to a plot is then responsible for maintaining it. Plots vary with content from marigolds to fennel, and even vegetables seldom seen in this area. Plots have rows or corn, pumpkins, squash, most anything the grower is interested in.

"Anything you want to plant. Every garden is different," said Revell.

The project is open to individuals and families. For some, the plot is divided between family members with children and grandchildren taking pride and ownership in their part of the garden.

Presently, there is opportunity to have more than one plot. There are about 10 people with plots at the community garden. To take part in the Sidney Secret Garden, contact Dana Revell at 249-1366 or Rose at 249-9321 or 249-9322.