Posted July 22, 2022, 4:04 pm (EDT).
The Greater Lansing Food Bank hosted its 16th garden tour earlier this week, presented by the Garden Project.
The Garden Project supports approximately 56 community gardens in the Lansing area.
The event showcased about 10 of these gardens. Project manager Julie Lehman said three types of routes were offered. You can take it on foot, by bike or by bus.
“It’s a celebration just to say thank you to the gardeners and the volunteers who help make these spaces grow,” Lehman said.
In the past year, the Greater Lansing Food Bank has donated one million pounds of food from the gardens to the community, said Greater Lansing Food Bank Director Michelle Lantz.
Guests were offered food and drinks before the tours began.
The event began at the Garden Project’s Resource Center, located in Foster Park in Lansing.
Edgewood Village Community Garden
Established in 2011, this garden was created with the help of local residents and gardeners from The Garden Project.
Edgewood Village promotes helping residents make delicious and nutritious choices while promoting self-empowerment.
The garden consists of a variety of flowers and vegetables, along with fruits in about 40 plots.
the garden is located at 6213 Towar Gardens Circle in East Lansing.
Cait Schneider, director of the Edgewood Village Community Garden
Established in 2012, this garden has 28 plots and offers residents a place to grow vegetables and flowers.
Grange Acres Garden Director Sandra Montgomery said the garden is doing great this year.
With room to grow, he is excited about the garden’s future.
Located at 6101 Marsh Road in Haslett, the garden primarily serves a community of senior citizens.
Sandra Montgomery, Director of Grange Acres Community Garden
Okemos International Community Garden
Established in 2010, this garden offers products from various cultures with 48 plots.
Residents from China, Russia, Iraq, and more are eager to show the community fresh foods you won’t be able to get from your local grocery store.
Yuan Liu, horticulturist at Okemos International Garden, said he is excited to be a part of a diverse community of gardeners.
The garden is located at 4394 Okemos Road in Okemos.
Kelly Romer, director of the Okemos International Community Garden
Lehman says she looks forward to visiting the garden every year.
“You can really see the pride of the gardeners,” Lehman said.
Aysa Rodriguez, a guest on the bus tour, said she was amazed at how much of the community she was able to see through the gardens.
“Then I’m thinking, yeah, I should totally do gardening,” Rodriguez said.
Genevieve’s story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
