Billings, Mont. — An accessible community garden in Billings is helping people grow food while also giving neighbors a place to connect.
The growing season has commenced at the accessible community garden at Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT). Raised beds are filling with tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs as first-time gardeners joined in.
The garden started last year through a food as medicine grant. LIFTT said wide pathways and an accessible layout were built to make gardening possible for more people in the community.
Eileen Rodriguez, a nutritional health coach at LIFTT, said many participants were new to gardening and found confidence as the season went on.
“So a lot of people had never garden before, so it was really fun to see them see things starting to grow and get to harvest their own vegetables, so that was really fun to see, and now they’ve done it once, they say ‘oh its not that hard I can go home and do this myself,’” Rodriguez said.
For Billings gardener Jodean Frieling, the space has also become a way to learn what worked from one season to the next.
“That was really fun because then you it gave me ideas for the next year. I did try some zucchini last year that didn’t really work, but it did in this one, so then I picked this spot,” Frieling said.
For some gardeners, the biggest benefit is not the food. The space also gives them a way to feel grounded and lift their spirits.
“It’s really good for my sense of self. I grew up playing in the dirt, and now I live in a place where that’s not readily accessible, so the garden is my way to play in the dirt. It’s very good for easing my spirits because physically my life isn’t easy and the world isn’t easy right now. So, I go out and play in the dirt,” Elisabeth Mills of Billings said.
LIFTT said the garden is about more than fresh produce. With wide pathways, raised beds and accessible design, the space was created so that every member of the community could take part.
Rodriguez said there are still some plots available. They are $20 each and come with everything from potting soil to plant starts. For more information on purchasing a plot, or to donate seeds or starts to the program, contact Rodriguez at (406) 294-5185 or eileenr@liftt.org.
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