What began as an empty lot and became a construction staging area during the Grandview Parkway reconstruction now has new life as a community garden.

Jay Youngflesh of Faith Reformed Church at the corner of Munson and Garfield Avenues says for years, Trudy Aardema has headed a team that provides a weekly community dinner at the church. “We also had a lot that had been full of weeds behind the church. She suggested maybe we could do a garden there for food for people in need,” says Youngflesh.

The idea really took root when Team Elmer’s offered to pay the church to use the lot behind the church as a staging area. The church agreed, but in lieu of payment, Faith Reformed asked Team Elmer’s to tear down a storm wall and some trees and level the ground. Oh, and could they throw in some soil and fertilizer?

The project was off and running, with a cost savings Youngflesh estimates at $15,000. Additional support came from Child and Family Services, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, Michigan State University’s Master Gardener Program, Keys to Freedom, Narcotics Anonymous, Northwest Education Services, Groundwork Center, Food Rescue and many more. As noted, Team Elmer's is a major contributor in time and material, along with Kasson Sand and Gravel, The Concrete Service, Tractor Supply and Lowe’s. The Career Tech Center is providing seed.

The church will indeed be able to use the fruits and vegetables grown there for its dinners, and the excess will be given to Food Rescue. A program of Goodwill Northern Michigan, Food Rescue partners with food pantries and community meal sites of the Northwest Food Coalition, picking up 8,000 pounds of food each day from grocery stores, bakeries, and farms. It then distributes the food to more than 50 food banks and meal sites in the five-county area.

Taylor Moore says when Faith Reformed came to Food Rescue with the idea, it immediately jumped on board. “We said it’s a great idea. Community gardens are a fantastic way to get people involved. You learn growing practices and giving back,” says Moore, manager of the program.

Youngflesh says other churches and organizations that had already established their own community gardens offered guidance and expertise. “We talked to people at First Congregational, they also have one,” Youngflesh says. So do Central Methodist, Kensington Church and Archangel Gabriel Greek Orthodox Church.

Moore says such efforts are hugely beneficial. Since its inception, Food Rescue has distributed 50,000 pounds of food just from community gardens. “The more local produce, the more healthy food,” he says.

The new community garden will actually be a full-circle moment, with Faith Reformed giving back to a program it directly benefits from. “We provide food to Faith Reformed for its community meals,” says Moore.

Organizations and churches including Faith Reformed will each take responsibility for a garden bed. That includes from contributing financially to seeding, watering, fertilizing, weeding and whatever else is needed. Youngflesh is confident there will be no shortage of volunteers. Ten beds are being installed this year, with the remainder being built next spring.

The exact mix of vegetables will depend on the individual groups supporting each bed.  Youngflesh says the mix will center on a variety of nutrient-rich foods, such as peas, carrots and potatoes.

The church has long sought a use for the property. “We couldn’t use the property for anything else,” Youngflesh says. “It’s too close to the bay to build on. The property was just dormant.”

He says the hope is the garden area will become a place for respite as well as harvesting foods. “We want it to be a growing area, but also a quiet area,” he says. It will eventually include a sculpture in an area set aside for prayer, reflection or simply quietude.

“We appreciate how the community is supporting it,” says Youngflesh. “There’s still a need out there.”