Barron County
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 County
Florence St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Garden
Partners of the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry Garden include:
- Glacial Gardeners
- Crossroads Community Garden
- UW-Extension Florence County
- Florence County Health Department
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
Fond du Lac County
Salute the Troops — Veterans’ THRIVE Garden
The 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant provided the opportunity for a long-standing partnership between Master Gardener Volunteers and FoodWIse in Fond du Lac County to turn resources and time towards horticulture therapy in programming with Salute the Troops. The mini-grant supported not only maintaining plots at the Community Garden near the edge of town, but also building the THRIVE Veterans’ Garden in a downtown location accessible to veterans participating with Salute the Troops for future programming.
Partners of the THRIVE Veterans’ Garden include:
- Master Gardener Volunteers
- Salute the Troops
- Fond du Lac City Planner
- Commonwealth Corporation
- Thrive Church
103 pounds of produce from varieties of peppers, tomatoes, beans, squash and corn were donated to Salute the Troops in 2018.
Forest County
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.
Grant County
SWCAP Boscobel Food Pantry Garden
With a 2018 FoodWIse mini-grant, a Growing Together Wisconsin partnership with Master Gardener Volunteers and the SWCAP Boscobel Food Pantry started its first year of utilizing garden and nutrition education to create opportunities for learning the importance of how to grow and prepare fresh produce. With a garden at the food pantry site, volunteers were able to tend and harvest the garden.
Partners of the SWCAP Boscobel Food Pantry Garden include:
- Master Gardener Volunteers
- Early Head Start and Head Start
- SWCAP Northern Grant County Food Pantry.
185 pounds of 11 varieties of plants were donated to the SWCAP Boscobel Food Pantry in 2018.
Iowa County
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.
- Master Gardener Volunteers
- SWCAP Iowa County Food Pantry
- Ridgeway Food Pantry
- Ridgeway Elementary School
- Wacky Wednesday After School Program
- Feeding Friends
50 pounds of 13 varieties of plants from the Ridgeway School site were donated to the elementary school in 2018. 367 pounds of produce from 22 varieties of plants at the Plymouth Church and SWCAP sites were donated to Feeding Friends and Iowa County food pantry in 2018.
Lafayette County
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.
Price County
Phillips Growing Together Learning Garden and Society of St. Vincent DePaul
The FoodWIse educator provided garden focused nutrition education lessons for Head Start youth as an introduction to the new garden now within walking distance from their classroom location. Master Garden volunteers have planted fruit trees and blueberries and have planned for the spring planting season. Food pantry volunteers look forward to additional produce donations for participants at their pantry in 2019.
Partners for the Phillips Growing Together Learning Garden include:
- Price County Master Gardener Program
- Family Forum Head Start
- Price County UW-Extension FoodWIse
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
Sawyer/LCO County
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.
Vilas County
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.
Partnerships with the Wellness Garden include:
- Abinojiiyag Youth Center
- Lac du Flambeau Wellness Center
- Lac du Flambeau Department of Natural Resources
- Gitigaan Coalition members
- LdF School District.
62 pounds of 17 varieties of plants were donated to the elder meal site and Abinojiiyag Youth Center during the 2018 season.