Lebanon seeks funds for community garden

A graphic of the conceptual design.

LEBANON—plans for the construction of a new community park are underway. The Community Garden at Porter Park will sit on 1.46 acres on the corner of Russell Drive and Porter Street. 

Park plans were presented to the City Council on July 22, and a motion was made and accepted to  begin securing funding for the project. City of Lebanon Maintenance Manager Jason Williams confirmed the city has set aside just over $100,000 for the construction of the new park. 

The city applied for an additional $15,000 grant on Monday, Aug. 3, from the Healthy Eating Active Living campaign, an entity with a mission to improve physical activity and healthy food opportunities in U.S. cities.

“If we get the grant we’ll get the construction plans designed and built; we have conceptual plans now,” Williams said. “Regardless if we get it, we’ll start in the fall.”

Community Garden at Porter Park will have an emphasis on residents learning tips for gardening and will give them opportunity to rent their own garden beds. The park will also have a communal garden section in which food grown will be maintained by staff and free for residents to harvest.

Master Gardener Sheryl Casteen has signed on to manage the community garden portion of the park for its first year. Casteen will oversee staff and volunteers on hand to assist residents with planting, maintaining and harvesting their crops. 

“There are several master gardeners, residents of Lebanon, that will be assisting with oversight, plant problems and training. The master gardeners will supply seeds to the renters, teach classes, and work on the ‘gift garden’ - that is the area outside the community garden plots that will have free produce for the public,” Casteen said.

Casteen has been the momentum behind the project and will set the park up for success with a team of locals committed to a healthy park that promotes healthy living.

“We will form a governing group of renters to maintain the rules and regulations that will be issued when each person rents a plot,” she said.

Williams will continue to work with Casteen as planning continues.

“This is something [Casteen] spearheaded,” he said. “She did a great job and put a lot of time and effort into it. We’re happy to have her aboard.”

Williams is confident news of whether the grant was approved will come quickly.