The Burns Lake Community Garden Society is planning a community open house for late summer or early fall to showcase the garden and give back to local residents.
“We want it to be an open house, open to all members of the community,” said board chair Brittany Evans. “We’re hoping to have a barbecue.”
While no exact date has been set, Evans said the event will likely take place during harvest season and will be promoted in advance.
The event is not intended as a fundraiser, but as a way to connect with the public.
“We just want to really be able to showcase and give back to the community in the way that they give to us,” Evans said. “All of the money that we have is either from fundraising or community donations… otherwise we wouldn’t be able to run and organize the space.”
Evans said raising awareness is also key part of the society’s goal. “It amazes me—so many folks still, when I say I’m on the community garden board, they say, ‘What’s the community garden?’” she said. “It’s kind of just to get that awareness piece out.”
The open house will be held at the garden site, which includes raised and in-ground beds, a central picnic area, a sandbox, and a wheelchair-accessible garden bed.
The society is hoping that Village of Burns Lake public works staff will attend the open house.
“They do so much work for us, and it doesn’t go unnoticed,” Evans said.
Until then, the garden is in full swing. Every plot is taken, with a small waitlist already forming.
“We do have a waitlist, which is amazing,” Evans said. “There’s about three or four people on it right now.”
When it comes to challenges, Evans pointed to limited space as the biggest ongoing concern facing the garden.
The growing season is shaping up well, she said.
“It’s been relatively cool compared to the last few years, which has been nice… nothing too hot or too cold, not too many spikes,” Evans said. “We’ve had quite a bit of rain, which has been really nice.”
Updates on the open house will be posted to the Burns Lake Community Garden Facebook page.