Garden plan set to bloom

SANDPOINT — Plans for a Sandpoint community garden are rapidly picking up steam, and organizers hope the project will be blooming by summertime.

At its April session, the City Council will vote on a proposal to give the Sandpoint Transition Initiative access to a roughly one-third acre plot of land at Dub’s Field for the garden.

Jeff Burns, who leads the initiative’s working group on food, is spearheading the project. Burns said the land, located between Highway 2 and Lake Street, will be divided into several sections for both communal and individual use. More than 30 eight-by-eight foot plots will be available for rent — at $35 per year — for individual farming, leaving the rest of the land for anyone interested in gardening.

Burns, who operated his own community garden last year, said fruit and vegetables harvested in the garden’s communal section will be donated to local organizations to feed the area’s hungry. No food, whether in communal or individual plots, can be sold for a profit, according to the city’s proposal.

The project has picked up a number of supporters, none more vocal than Councilman John Reuter.

“I’m just entirely enthusiastic about it,” Reuter said. “I think there are some minor issues that still need to be worked out, but generally it’s a project that I think the entire community is thrilled about.”

Reuter said he hopes the community garden will be the first step toward making Sandpoint synonymous with the production of quality food.

“I really believe that local food is one of the ways that Sandpoint can really define itself as something more than just another tourist town, as something that actually helps us bring our community together and focus on one of our strengths,” he said.

Community response to the gardens has been exceedingly positive so far, according to both Reuter and Burns.

“I’ve yet to hear someone say that we shouldn’t do it or that it’s not a great idea. That’s pretty unusual, especially in this community,” Reuter said.

As part of the city’s proposal, the transition initiative would be given use of the land and $100 per month toward its water bill for a 10-month trial run. If the project is a success, Reuter said the city would likely renew the agreement on a yearly basis.

Burns said he is amazed at how quickly the project has come together and credits city officials and the countless people involved in the transition initiative for making it happen.

“I think this is the greatest town in the world,” he said. “We have an amazing intelligence bank in Sandpoint.”