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Just today, I cleaned out most of the remaining produce in my vegetable garden at Prairie Loft… in a few more hours, there will be a large batch of pesto made from the last of the Arugula, the last of the Chard will be clean, blanched and frozen and the leeks will be finding their way into good soup.

But good soup isn’t the point of this ramble… the larger topic is Prairie Loft and the Community Garden that began there a little over two years ago. About one dozen avid gardeners began creating a space to grow vegetables and flowers for themselves and friends on garden plots that each measured about three hundred square feet.  The area was securely fenced against cattle and other critters (well, we thought it was…) and the space divided in such a way to allow separation between those who gardened “organically” and those who chose to apply chemicals from a short list approved by the entire gardening group.

After the area was fenced, Woodward’s delivered a generous donation of their “home-grown” compost, which was tilled into the existing soil before planting began.  Every plot was a little different, but there were few veggies that didn’t get some representation. Many gardeners also planted a variety of flowers to attract bees, birds and butterflies, so half the fun of tending the gardens was seeing and naming all of these beneficial visitors, and several sculptures made by Sally Jurgensmier from parts “found” at Prairie Loft helped make many gardens a work of art.

Most first year gardeners came back our second year, older and wiser, and several new folks filled out the map.  The garden site was better leveled to reduce some drainage problems; plots were  slightly enlarged; more Woodward’s compost was added and several of us tried “square foot” gardening with good results.

Then, in late spring, the cattle got in!  Just imagine freshly-tilled soil under the weight of a dozen or more curious cows and calves! We started over and the damage was soon repaired.  Several made the event iconic with stuffed, plush fabric cows in their gardens, and most of those, a bit bedraggled by now, are still there.

What are the lessons we’ve learned so far?

• You can grow, in 300 square feet, more than you can use by yourself, so sharing is the thing to do, not just among ourselves, but with neighbors, churches and, in the case of zucchini, anyone!
• A little chard and a few tomatillos go a long way.
• Edible flowers make amazing additions to mixed greens!
• One pumpkin plant can take over half the garden.
• Every gardener was willing to help another with encouragement and advice, watering or weeding, company and shared bounty.
• Whatever combination of produce you have, there’s a good recipe for just those same ingredients… Ah, the thrill of the hunt!
• The two years were much different climate-wise, and that made a big difference: tomatoes and peppers were late, but nasturtiums and greens produced much longer,
• And finally, fall planting for second crops produces great results.

Once in a while, gardening is less fun and more work, but always rewarding. Seed catalogs will start arriving soon… can hardly wait!

About the author: Jack Sandeen

Born in Casper, Wyoming, Jack came to Hastings College in 1959 and married Judy Raymond in 1963. Jack enjoyed a long career with various area manufacturers including New Holland, Ag-Tronic, Inc. and Thermo-King. He retired in 2003. Son Eric and his family live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Daughter Amy lives in Hastings and is the executive director of Prairie Loft. His active retired life includes numerous volunteer activities, woodworking, classes at Hastings College, photography, gardening, reading and cooking.