Gardening: A Way of Life
By Deb DeBoutez & Chris Kennedy
(Orginally printed June 2009)

The May 4, 2009 Denver Post describes community gardening as a “hot trend.” But in Greeley, gardening is more than that; it’s our heritage. Community-based agriculture was a way of life for early settlers scratching out a living on these dusty plains. And today, we keep the tradition alive by helping each other reap the benefits of organic gardening.

There’s something for everybody, from becoming more self-reliant and improving your diet to making friends and stretching your budget. A $2 packet of lettuce seeds can produce 100 heads; at a market price of $2 a head, that’s $200!

For a decade Houston Gardens has been renting about a dozen plots (10 ft. by 60 ft.) where gardeners irrigate with ditch water, like the settlers did. Plumb Farm made its fertile, rock-free soil available to the public in 2008, and now seven gardeners grow goodies such as tomatoes and sunflowers on 15 by 20 foot beds.

Greeley’s flagship program is at the UNC Xeric Demonstration Gardens, where 24 summer plots (15 by 15 ft.) overflow with everything from potatoes and peppers to dahlias and dill. The garden was created in 2007 through a collaboration of the University, City of Greeley, Weld County, CSU Extension and non-profit for the developmentally disabled, Envision.

Gardeners follow cutting-edge rules of environmental sustainability, using drip irrigation, producing compost and fighting pests with an organic process called “integrated pest management.” But don’t worry if you’re a beginner, the City can arrange training to help get your feet wet.

If none of the community gardens profiled above work for you, call the number below for info on how to try one of the smaller gardens at: Cameron and Madison elementary schools, West Greeley Baptist and Christ Community Churches, and the non-profits Elder-Garden and Greeley Transitional House.

Come tour a garden and get inspired. Gardening might be the “latest thing” in some places, but it’s been around in Greeley since the 1800s. It’s that tradition that makes our gardens “Great. From the Ground Up.”