Barron Community Garden

The Barron Community Garden’s vision began in 2015, with the first year of production in 2016. The garden was able to expand access in 2017 with a FoodWIse mini-grant. In 2018, FoodWIse mini-grant funding helped support access to tools, free plants, seeds and plots to eligible gardeners. Community Nights held throughout the season created opportunities to work the plots and have on-site garden-based nutrition and gardening education by FoodWIse and Master Gardeners.

Partners of the Barron Community Garden include:

• Barron County Developmental Services
• Barron County Aging & Disability Resource Center
• Barron Public Library
• City of Barron
• Barron County Master Gardener Volunteers
• Barron Cupboard & Closet Food Pantry
• UW-Extension Barron County

The garden consists of 20- 20×20 plots available to community members with an emphasis on attracting income eligible and Somali residents. 17 plots were rented of which 3 were income-eligible families. The remaining 3 comprised the community plots where the grown produce is donated to the community. A variety of 19 plants were grown on the community plots during the season, and 732 pounds of fresh produce was donated between the Barron Food Pantry and ADRC Senior Nutrition Program. The community was invited to a garden open house called, “A Night at the Garden” where there were garden samples, kid activities, and educational displays for the attendees to participate in.

Florence St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Garden

Salute the Troops — Veterans’ THRIVE Garden

Wasmogishek Food Pantry Garden

Expanding on work funded by a 2017 FoodWIse mini-grant, Forest County Food Pantry Donation Gardens was able to continue and deepen roots in the community through the 2018 mini-grant. Raised beds were installed at the Wasmogishek Food Pantry Garden to prevent seed washout experienced during the 2017 season, and Crandon Community Garden offered space to increase donations dedicated to the NEWCAP Food Pantry.

Partners of the Wasmogishek Food Pantry Garden: 

• Wasmogishek Food Pantry
• Master Gardener Volunteers
• Michelle Gobert with Forest County 4-H
• Forest County Health Department
• Forest County Community Coalition
• Forest County CAN! (Coalition for Activity and Nutrition)
• Crandon Community Garden

921 pounds of 14 varieties of plants were donated to the Wasmogishek and NEWCAP Food Pantry sites in 2018.

SWCAP Boscobel Food Pantry Garden

SWCAP Iowa County Food Pantry Garden

Expanding on two Master Gardener Volunteer gardens at Ridgeway School and Plymouth Church, a 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant supported the development of an additional garden location at the SWCAP Iowa County Food Pantry. Nutrition education with summer school participants took place at the Ridgeway School site, where students were able to add garden-fresh produce to their snacks and school lunches.

Shullsburg FFA Garden

With a 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant, a Growing Together Wisconsin partnership with Master Gardener Volunteers and the Shullsburg FFA Garden attempted its first year of utilizing garden and nutrition education to create opportunities for learning the importance of how to grow and prepare fresh produce. Challenges with summer schedules, location of the garden and inadvertent chemical spray on planted soils left only a small portion of plot harvested.

Partners of the Shullsburg FFA Garden include:

• Master Gardener Volunteers
• 4-H Youth Educator
• Shullsburg FFA Chapter
• Shullsburg Food Pantry
• SWCAP Lafayette County Food Pantry

33 pounds of 3 varieties of plants were donated to the Shullsburg Food Pantry and SWCAP Lafayette County Food Pantry.

Phillips Growing Together Learning Garden and Society of St. Vincent DePaul 

LCO Elder Center Growing Together Garden

In With a 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant, the LCO Elder Center Community Garden was able to see a revitalization after several years. Six large raised beds, as well as several smaller containers for youth, were built, planted and harvested. With an intergenerational model, the garden offered space for LCO elders and the Boys and Girls Club youth to garden and participate in lessons on nutrition and taste-testing.

Partners of the LCO Elder Center Community Garden include:

• LCO Elder Center Aging & Disability Resource Specialists, Director and Cooks
• Master Gardener Volunteers
• Boys and Girls Club
• UW-Extension
• LCO Farm

350 pounds of 12 plant varieties were donated to the LCO Elder Center in the 2018 season.

Wellness Garden – Lac du Flambeau Youth Center

In its second year, the Lac du Flambeau Wellness Garden offered a space for garden-based nutrition lessons with grade-schools, as well as donation of vegetables to local elder meal site and youth center. With a 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant, these efforts were able to continue and expand with additional nutrition education and intergenerational lessons.

62 pounds of 17 varieties of plants were donated to the elder meal site and Abinojiiyag Youth Center during the 2018 season.