More than a dozen Longmont residents are preparing to plant a community garden this spring in an effort to help families in need.
Most of the produce grown in the Round Urban Garden will go to charity, said Jennifer Rudd-Smith, the initiative’s director.
"We started this community garden in the spring of 2022 to grow fruit and vegetables for the Round Pantry and what we discovered is we created great friendships, a place to rest and worship," Rudd-Smith said.
Members of Westview Presbyterian Church oversee the garden, which provides produce for HOPE, Safe Lots, the Mobile Pantry and the church’s Round Pantry — an initiative that gives out free food on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.
As food costs soar and SNAP benefits are reduced, the Round Pantry provides community members with easy access to much-needed items — recipients can drive up or walk up, and receive a variety of food products between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The Round Urban Garden, at 1500 Hover St. in the north parking lot, produces strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, cantaloupes and a variety of herbs.
The garden donated more than 1,000 pounds of produce last year, said David Jackson, a new volunteer recruiter with the initiative.
Jackson is seeking volunteers for this year’s growing season, and promoting the benefits of signing up.
“It gets you outside and exercising, and hanging out with people you can be friends with,” Jackson said. “It’s something worthwhile — you feel good at the end of the day.”
Volunteers are tasked with planting, digging, watering, building the vegetable beds, installing irrigation pipes, spreading wood chips along the fabric paths and adding topsoil to the beds.
“Always more hands are helpful,” Jackson said.
The volunteers meet every Saturday between 8-10 a.m. to work and every Thursday from 6-10 p.m. for a church picnic to complete additional tasks and celebrate the garden.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering in the garden can contact organizers here.
