Just over 20 volunteers harvested a healthy row of greens, cauliflower, potatoes and kohlrabi from six planter boxes at the Noel Wien Public Library on Friday.
The harvest comes just over two months after the crops were planted by volunteers coordinated by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District.
The boxes were built with a $13,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, Great Northwest donated the soil and the initial plantings were donated by Hospice Plant Sale, farmer Gretchen Kerndt and the Bread Line, among others.
Mel Sikes, an educational specialist with the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, said that much of the crops will be split between Bread Line’s Stone Soup Kitchen and the Fairbanks Community Food Bank.
However, volunteers were able to take home some pickings, such as cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, or herbs like thyme or basil.
The Noel Wien Library garden project sprouted from a Kids Literacy Farmers Market meeting meant to engage children in Fairbanks North Star Borough to cultivate an interest in gardening and food security.
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