PEEKSKILL, N.Y. Like any garden, the Peekskill Community Garden needs lots of work in order to reach fruition.
On Monday night the garden group's leader, Joann Boniello, came before the Peekskill Common Council to discuss ways to get the garden fully operational.
The garden sits on a piece of land off of Route 6 near Beach Shopping Center. There are 20 beds of about 4 feet by 8 feet. The entire piece of property is about 75 feet by 100 feet. Plots can be purchased for $30 and there is also a people's plot that area residents can be part of for $20. Volunteers who give 10 hours of time can get a discount rate.
"Back in 2009 when we decided to use this property it was basically a bog, a marsh, or whatever you want to call it," Boniello said.
With help from the city and donation of materials from private vendors the group has managed to make plenty of progress, but there is still much work to be done. The group is seeking volunteers to help with labor such as clearing the fields, building fences and spreading topsoil.
Boniello is hoping to reach out to community and church groups and schools in order to get more volunteers.
"Right now is the really rough part, going out there every day and digging up this or that," Boniello said. "We have our committed people that are doing it, but I don't know how to reach out to more volunteers. Someone suggested that maybe there are kids or young adults that have community service requirements that they need to take."
The group is also seeking donations of materials and supplies, as well as monetary donations.
Water is also an issue. Although the garden is in a marshy area access to water is limited. The group is exploring options to increase access to water such as a pump or well.
Anyone looking to volunteer with the community garden can contact the group from its website. The site also contains plenty of information about the garden and tips for novice gardeners.
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