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Clark County Veterans Garden provides community-restoration work and has donated more than 88,000 pounds of produce
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Summary
The Clark County District Court Veterans Garden at the Mabry Center gives people serving community restitution gardening work tied to veterans and therapeutic courts, grows plants from seed and greenhouses, and has donated over 88,000 pounds of fresh produce since its 2015 start.
The Clark County District Court Veterans Garden at the Mabry Center, near Northeast 117th Avenue and Pad Parkway in Clark County, provides gardening work for people performing community restitution and has donated more than 88,000 pounds of fresh produce since the garden was established in 2015.
A county staff member who described the program said the garden was started in conjunction with the court’s veterans court and therapeutic-court sanctions as an alternative for people who cannot physically perform other crew assignments. “Our veterans Garden, which is just beautiful, and really amazing, that was started kind of in conjunction with our veterans court,” the staff member said.
The garden offers several roles and activities for participants: greenhouse propagation, planting from seed in late winter and early spring, and tending and harvesting produce in summer. “We start everything from seed. It gives us something to do like in February, March, April. We get it germinated, then kind of harden it off before we bring it out to plant. Usually, we're planting in May,” a horticulture staff member said.
Program leaders said the garden was created to give people a meaningful way to complete community restitution while also fostering community connections that may reduce recidivism. Produce — including tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, cucumbers and corn, with occasional trials such as rutabaga — is donated to local food banks. “I just love the idea of having fresh produce for our families. It's such a blessing to for them to be able to go home and and have that fresh food available in preparation,” a community partner representative said.
Staff described additional community partnerships and seasonal activities: in winter, crew members build planter boxes from pallets and grow plants that are donated to the Clark County Master Gardeners Foundation for its Mother's Day sale. Since the garden’s founding, county staff said the program has donated more than 88,000 pounds of produce.
Participants and program staff described therapeutic benefits of working outdoors. “There is something really therapeutic about putting your hands in the soil,” a garden staff member said, adding that some people who complete restitution have later returned to volunteer.
Staff also noted routine challenges, including wildlife damaging short corn and the usual uncertainties of weather. “This was one of those years we struggled with corn…The ears were perfect heights for squirrels or rabbits,” a staff member said, noting plans to try taller varieties.
The garden is located behind the work-crew garages at the Mabry Center. To follow the Clark County District Court Veterans Garden on Facebook, go to facebook.com/clarkcountyvetgarden.
