Students are preparing the library grounds for the community garden
Posted 8:31 am Sunday March 31, 2024
- Makyden Francis, 10, Makenzie Francis, 11, Malaysia Francis, 9, help Zenetta Lee work the bed Friday in preparation for planting a community garden at the Lake Arthur Library. (Doris Maricle/American Press)
The Lake Arthur Library will soon have its first community garden.
Students from the Jeff Davis Parish 4-H program and library staff spent Good Friday rolling up their sleeves and diving into building beds, smoothing the soil and preparing the garden for planting.
“It’s about getting back to our roots and the whole point of 4-H,” said local 4-H agent Kyndal Comeaux. “There is no better way to start a garden.”
Most young people have never been involved in growing their own food, he said.
“Nine out of 10 will tell you they’ve never tried growing a garden before,” Comeaux said. “This will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that they have grown a tomato from a seed to feed their friends and family.”
Librarian Zenetta Lee said it takes a lot of work to keep a garden growing. She said the garden will be open to local residents who want to help maintain or share in its bountiful harvest.
“The garden is for the entrance to the community,” he said. “We welcome anyone who wants to work on it or help take care of the plants, weed the garden or help compose.”
The library also plans to present monthly programs that highlight gardening tips and recipes with garden-fresh ingredients.
“We really want to have a place where the community can come together and have a place to enjoy garden-fresh items,” Lee said.
The garden, located in front of the library, will have blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and a few herbs, he said.
“We live in a day and age where kids don’t understand where their food comes from,” said Assistant 4-H Agent Sonya Guidry. “This is a great opportunity for them to learn that they don’t just go to the store to buy.”
Library director Michael Staton agrees.
“It’s a good thing to teach kids where their food comes from,” Staton said. “We’re already an agriculture-based parish, so it’s good for young people to know how to grow things from start to finish.”
Lily Ridgeway, 10, wanted to help with the project because she had never worked or grown a garden before. She hopes to learn more about how to grow plants.
Mackenzie Francis, 11, said working in the garden has taught her to dig up roots and remove branches, but the best part is playing in the dirt.
The community project is a collaboration between the Lake Arthur Library, Jeff Davis Parish 4-H, LSU Ag-Center, LSU Master Gardener Program and Southern University.
