Laurel Community Garden brings nutrition and neighbors together

May 17, 2022 at 8:49 p.m.
Laurel Community Garden brings nutrition and neighbors together
Laurel Community Garden brings nutrition and neighbors together

By Steven Harmeyer -

A new community garden at the Laurel Library was created to educate the youth while also providing nutritious options for the town.  

Laurel resident Jana Connolly came up with the idea to plant a community garden and it was embraced by Franklin County Purdue Extension and the Franklin County Public Library District. 

"Since COVID, it seems like everybody drew back from each other and I want to see everyone come together and enjoy life," Connolly said. 

Local kids will be invited to help plant, maintain and harvest the community garden. Organizers also plan to host educational classes.

"We want to plant what the kids want to grow. One of the things we plan to do is to plant a salsa garden with tomatoes and onions, so we can actually make salsa on-site to show the kids the process of planting a tomato and making it a product you can eat," said Veronica Bullock with Franklin County Purdue Extension. 

With the lack of a supermarket, Laurel is considered a "food desert" — an area with little access to low-cost, healthy selections. The garden will also serve as a nutritious option for community members. 

If you want to get involved with the project, reach out to Franklin County Purdue Extension at (765) 647-3511. 

A new community garden at the Laurel Library was created to educate the youth while also providing nutritious options for the town.  

Laurel resident Jana Connolly came up with the idea to plant a community garden and it was embraced by Franklin County Purdue Extension and the Franklin County Public Library District. 

"Since COVID, it seems like everybody drew back from each other and I want to see everyone come together and enjoy life," Connolly said. 

Local kids will be invited to help plant, maintain and harvest the community garden. Organizers also plan to host educational classes.

"We want to plant what the kids want to grow. One of the things we plan to do is to plant a salsa garden with tomatoes and onions, so we can actually make salsa on-site to show the kids the process of planting a tomato and making it a product you can eat," said Veronica Bullock with Franklin County Purdue Extension. 

With the lack of a supermarket, Laurel is considered a "food desert" — an area with little access to low-cost, healthy selections. The garden will also serve as a nutritious option for community members. 

If you want to get involved with the project, reach out to Franklin County Purdue Extension at (765) 647-3511. 

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

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