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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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| Future site of Mainstrasse community garden |
Two community gardens several blocks from each other will help feed different constituencies in Covington. One plot of land on West Seventh Street between Main and Bakewell Streets will give residents of Mainstrasse a chance at urban farming as well as an opportunity for restaurants in the vibrant entertainment district to grow produce mere feet from their kitchens. "It's going to be starting slowly but they want to start planting right away," said Kim Blank, executive director of the Mainstrasse Village Association. "The goal is to have a portion for farm-to-table so a lot of the restaurants will have plots for their produce and on top of that some residents will have a plot, too."
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The Mainstrasse garden is made possible by an arrangement with John R. Green, the large school supply distributor that owns the lot. The company is leasing the land to the Mainstrasse Village Association for one dollar a year and the garden will be covered by the MSVA's insurance. "There's been a lot of problems with the fence getting knocked down and it's been an eyesore, empty lot," Blank said, adding that some of the restaurants will not only grow produce but also flowers that will be freshly cut to dress up the tables. "It's a really neat idea and we're going to figure out ways to raise money where we can put up a new fence that looks nice." Blank is optimistic that a new fence could be constructed around the lot within the next two months.
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Residents in the neighborhood interested in a plot will pay ten dollars and can contact the MSVA office for more details.
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| Vegetables starting to sprout near MACC |
Meanwhile, across town at the Madison Avenue Christian Church, efforts at feeding Covington's homeless and hungry will be bolstered by a similar garden next to the church's parking lot. Nursing students that volunteer at the twice-weekly community dinners hosted at the MACC were looking for a way to enhance the quality of nutrition for the underprivileged guests and with help from the University of Kentucky's Kenton County Extension Office, volunteers, and community residents, the garden was planted and celebrated Monday evening.
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“By involving the community in growing vegetables, we hope to increase the availability of well-balanced meals,” said Kristine Pfendt an Associate Professor of Nursing at Northern Kentucky University. "A garden is a place where anyone can become involved and help. The garden project nurtures the soul and gives our participants a sense of community."
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MACC will also reach out to suburban and rural home gardeners and farmers who might contribute some of their produce for the meals.
“Our food needs are greater than what our garden will provide this summer,” says Madison Avenue Christian Church Pastor Chinna Simon. The church is asking the public to plant a few extra vegetables in their home gardens to share with the feeding program throughout the summer. “We hope to connect with people in the suburbs and help increase the joy they receive through their garden by donating some of their home-grown vegetables to our meal program.”
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Madison Avenue Christian Church feeds 100-150 homeless and working poor at its Monday and Wednesday evening community dinners.
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| Line forms at MACC cookout celebrating the opening of the community garden |
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