Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Garden topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
River Bend community garden tallies nearly 3,000 pounds harvested; Parks & Recreation warns of volunteer shortage
Summary
At the Dec. 11 River Bend council meeting, Parks & Recreation reported its annual tree lighting proceeded despite poor weather, the community organic garden recorded year-to-date harvests of 2,996 pounds, and Councilman Jeff Weaver warned events will be limited in 2026 unless more volunteers join the Parks & Recreation board.
The River Bend Parks & Recreation report at the Dec. 11, 2025 council meeting highlighted a strong community harvest and a shortfall of volunteers.
Councilman Jeff Weaver said the River Bend Community Organic Garden logged 88 work hours in November, bringing the year-to-date volunteer total to 1,396 hours. The garden's November harvest weighed 70 pounds and the year-to-date harvest was 2,996 pounds. The garden will hold its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the municipal building; guests are welcome.
Weaver also reviewed the annual tree-lighting event held Dec. 5, noting weather forced officials to proceed on the scheduled date because the Community Building was fully booked on alternate dates. He said Parks & Recreation will start a new tradition allowing children to compete to turn the tree on each year and that photos are posted on the Parks & Recreation Facebook page.
On staffing and volunteer capacity, Weaver said the Parks & Recreation Board has had only three members for the past eight months and cautioned that events will be limited in 2026 unless more residents step forward to serve or volunteer regularly. The report listed the next confirmed community event as a Red Cross blood drive on Jan. 24, 2026.
Why it matters: The community garden's harvest numbers indicate steady volunteer engagement and food production for local distribution or use, while the Parks & Recreation vacancy level could reduce the number of community events available in 2026 unless recruitment improves.
What's next: The council did not take formal action on volunteer recruitment at this meeting; interested residents are directed to contact Parks & Recreation or attend board meetings.
