GREEN BAY (WLUK) – It’s not unusual to see a community garden in Northeast Wisconsin, but some food being grown, harvested, and donated to a local food pantry is coming from an unlikely source.
Lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and herbs – hose are just some of the plants blooming in a Brown County community garden.
According to Rachel Quintas, Brown County’s Urban Agriculture and Community Garden Coordinator, “We started this program with the Green Bay Packers Give Back, so they funded the beds and the initial supplies and the whole intention is to provide the participants with the education, some employable skills, some socialization and then the therapeutic benefits of gardening.”
All important skills and benefits for participants who just so happen to be inmates at the Brown County Jail.
“It’s really hard to find, to get a garden going nowadays but anyone can do it,” said inmate Russell Stevens.
Saint Luke Her said, “It means a lot because we’re learning how to grow our own food and that’s what we need. We need food as one of the basic necessities in life,” when talking about the garden.
While Danzel Garris added, “It just really reminds me and shows me how to appreciate the value of time.”
It was last summer when the jail first added raised beds to an empty outdoor courtyard, planting the first seeds for the community garden. The garden offering inmates an opportunity to nurture not only plants, but themselves.
It’s a project that continues to grow.
“I didn’t know so much things that, what a garden can do for you and around your house,” said inmate Dane Waubanascum.
Staff members, based on behavior, recommending and picking the nearly two dozen inmates for the project.
Brown County Jail Officer Joe Sickel, who serves a the jail classification/program coordinator said, “This is a program that we just started and not a lot of people get to do it. And they’re very excited to come out here and work and come out and water every day and take care of their plants.”
The inmates started this year’s garden in May. They have weekly classes where they learn different aspects of gardening.
And when it’s time to pick from their plants, all of the produce is donated to Paul’s Pantry.
“I feel proud, giving back to the community. It’s nice to be able to show progress and something we’re doing as we’re here,” said Thomas Woods
And for an organization that helps between 250 and 300 households a day, five days a week, Paul’s Pantry is willing to take any donation it receives.
“Every little bit counts, every little bit makes a huge difference for people in need,” added Craig Robbins from Paul’s Pantry.
Jail officials are pleased with the community garden program and they hope to add more raised beds in the future.