by CEASR SALAZAR
Winona could have not only one or two, but three new community gardens in 2024. As well as the city’s plan to build two temporary community gardens on the west side at the former Madison school property and at West Lake Park, Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center plans to establish a new community garden open to the public on the clinic property. However, with three new gardens in town, there come some caveats for the city.
City officials have been looking to develop and maintain community gardens in the city, with a mayoral task force recommending to the City Council last year to maintain the East Rec Center community garden, establish a new community garden at West Lake Park, and look into establishing micro gardens around the city. The task force also suggested that the city look into applying for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Urban Agriculture Grant and the Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant to cover the cost of constructing the new gardens.
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center’s emerging plan threw a wrench in the city’s plans for applications, with the City Council also proposing to apply for an MDA grant for the community garden.
Instead, the City Council voted on January 3 to support a grant application from Hiawatha Valley toward its community garden and postpone the city’s own grant applications until next year, so that the city’s applications won’t compete with Hiawatha Valley’s this year.
“[Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center] would also be pursuing the same funding stream, the same grant opportunity,” Winona Natural Resources Sustainability Coordinator John Howard said at the meeting. “Given that we’re pursuing very similar objectives, staff’s opinion is to actually support the Hiawatha Valley project, [share] our experience in running a community garden, help them develop their garden, and not submit a grant application for this grant year.”
City staff are looking at the change of plans for the city’s community gardens as an opportunity to use temporary garden plots in two spots on the west side to gauge the interest of the community in using community gardens in the future. The city could set up temporary gardens in late April this year, according to Howard.
According to Howard and Ubl, the city would use 17 plastic raised beds that are currently in city storage to create temporary garden plots at the proposed West Lake Park site and at the city’s portion of the former Madison school property and see how popular they are. If successful, the city could then build a garden at either or both sites.
Howard said he is planning to meet with staff to discuss the finer details of the temporary gardens. He added he’ll also be talking with the task force and neighborhoods to discuss what’s the best option for location and registration for the garden beds.
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center is planning to build its own community gardens in its backyard. According to Executive Director Erik Sievers, the garden would be similar to the East Rec Center’s garden, and open to the public. Sievers added that he’s planning to discuss with Engage Winona about the finer details of the center’s garden as well.
“It stinks, but it’s also good,” Mayor Scott Sherman said of the change of plans. “That’s how I think we should probably look at this. We’re still getting an extra garden for the community. The location isn’t ideal, but what that does is pull our 17 temporary units out of storage, and get them out with the promise from staff that we’re getting them on the west end.” He continued, “I look at it as an opportunity to do a little bit more research … ultimately, the community will be better for it.”
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