Sprouting buds: MAFB gets first community garden

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  For avid gardeners and lovers of home-grown produce, the wait is over. Balfour Beatty Communities and Great Falls' River City Harvest have teamed up to facilitate Malmstrom Air Force Base's first-ever community garden.

The 41 plots - each measuring 15 feet by 20 feet - will be located in Minuteman Village on Cypress Drive next to the walking path. Although the announcement was released more than two weeks ago, Airmen and their families interested in reserving a plot are urged to reserve one now, as there are only eight remaining before the May 1 deadline.

"So far we've gotten a lot of positive responses," said Amber Gardner, BBC Lifeworks Program coordinator. "Within the first day we received 10 reservations."

With the help of River City Harvest, a nonprofit organization that aims to manage community gardens in Great Falls, BBC hopes to make the community garden a success.

"One reason BBC wanted a garden was to create a place to beautify our neighborhoods," Gardner said. "We also hope that it is a place that brings the community of Malmstrom together. It gives individuals a chance to become self-sustainable. BBC's Lifeworks Program will be offering cooking classes that will include our fresh grown produce and we will also have a canning class. It can be hard to maintain a garden in the military because every time an Airman [is re-stationed], they are required to dig up their garden and remove the plants. This will never be required in the community garden."

Plots are free for housing residents and $25 per year for dormitory residents and other base personnel. Additional plots are $25 regardless if the individual lives in base housing. For those who are beginner gardeners or are unaccustomed to planting in Montana, River City Harvest will be providing free hands-on how-to gardening classes. Anyone interesting in receiving additional guidance can pick up informational brochures at the BBC office located at 6945 Goddard Drive.

"We have the resources available - availability to take classes, access to water, hoses and master gardeners who have all the knowledge," Gardner said. "We want to set up future gardeners for success."

Below are rules, terms and conditions for membership to consider before reserving a plot:

· At the end of the season - Oct. 15 - clean-up is expected. Plots must be left free of weeds and the soil leveled - if modified. Structures such as fencing, constructed raised beds and stakes should be removed.
· Plots must be cultivated and planted by June 1 - weather permitting - and must be free of weeds, pests and diseases. Pesticides and herbicides are not allowed without the approval of River City Harvest.
· Gardeners may start cultivation now, but water will not be available until temperatures are above freezing.
· Plots cannot be unattended for a period of three weeks or more, more than one time a year.
· If gardeners use more than the recommended amount of water, a monthly fee will be required to cover the cost of additional water.

For more information or to reserve a plot, call Gardner at 315-2262. For more information on community gardens, visit www.rivercityharvest.com.