Story by By: Jessica Norton, Kaitlynn Myers, Josie Stackis / Inform Muncie
Editor's Note: This story was originally published in October, 2022.
20 years ago, a seed of hope was planted in a neighborhood disconnected from each other. This neighborhood is located on the Southside of Muncie, Indiana, and this seed has now sprouted into a community garden bringing young and old neighbors together.
This garden started as just a few rows of plants and now has over 10-5 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, over five different herbs, and an assortment of flowers. All of which is entirely free and available to anyone in the community.
Not only does this garden serve as a food source but also as a local gathering place. Each garden season begins with an Easter egg hunt, and the season ends with a community cookout using vegetables from the garden. Any leftover vegetables or herbs are given away to those who come to their end-of-the-season event so that no food is wasted.
Donna Young is the Garden Coordinator, she ensures the garden is taken care of all year round and serves as a resource to those wanting to have a garden of their own in the community. She employs a team of 7 people that help weed and water the garden when needed. Although the community provides them with a small stipend, Young states that when presented with it, they say,
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. You know, because they like to do it. They want to do it from their heart.”
In the back of the garden, you’ll find a playground that was built for the local children to come and play on. Making the garden not just a place for adults to come and engage but a place for everyone.
When Joy Redigger, the executive director of urban development, described the garden she explained how every aspect of it was placed to engage the community,
“What I love about it is that like this table was intentional that fireplaces is intentional. If you walk in the back, that play equipment and the bins are very intentional, like creating a space where neighbors, not just garden, but actually can connect with one another.”
Since this garden has started multiple other opportunities for the neighborhood to connect and grow together have begun as well. A neighborhood cleanup event takes place twice a year and the park has a successful ice cream social every summer. It’s not an uncommon sight to see neighbors coming together within the garden at all times of the day.
All Inform Muncie articles are written by students in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication in a classroom environment with a faculty advisor.
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