Pounds of produce from Marion community garden aid food pantry

MARION - More than 140 pounds of fresh produce have made their ways into Marion food banks this summer through a new community garden program.

Set up through the Blue Zone project, an initiative aimed at making healthier places to live, the purpose of the 224-square-foot garden located downtown is to make fresh vegetables available to those who can't afford them.

The garden is tended to by the Churches of Marion Food Pantry, harvesting vegetables like tomatoes, onions and zucchini.

'The garden is a great way to connect with the community, it's good exercise and it's good to be outside,” said Sarah Mentzer, community program manager for the Blue Zones project in Marion.

She said the group is looking to expand next summer, hoping local businesses come forward to adopt plots - tending to them and delivering produce to food pantries.

The new program is a result of an ordinance passed by the City Council in June, specifying how community gardens can be grown on city property.

And master gardeners through the Iowa State University Extension Service have taught volunteers the best practices, like when to plant what kind of vegetables and when to harvest them for the best results.

Not only does the community garden provide produce for those who need it, it's also a way to fill up vacant spaces and make them more attractive, Mentzer said.

'We want to make sure people have access to healthy options,” she said.

Jan Kittrell, board president of the Churches of Marion Food Pantry, said the partnership with the community garden has filled a gap in food donations. Previously, canned vegetables were likely the only options food pantry goers would have. Fresh produce tends to taste better and is healthier because it isn't loaded with sodium, she said.

'It's very much appreciated by the clients and the food pantry,” she said. 'The really appreciate it and whatever it brought in doesn't last very long.”

City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said the community gardens are bringing the city another step closer to being one of the healthiest in Iowa.

'We actually have locally grown, healthy, fresh food that's available” for food pantries, Pluckhahn said. 'And for a pretty small operation, it's astounding what we've been able to contribute.”

Over the summer, the garden has produced:

' 222 radishes

' 24 pounds of carrots

' 13 pounds of beets

' 6 pounds of cucumbers

' 12.5 pounds of zucchini

' 12 pounds of peppers

' 21 pounds of tomatoes

' 1.5 pounds of green beans