China Community Garden’s first year a success

Last October China resident James Hsiang met with Town Manager Becky Hapgood to propose a community garden. Her response was enthusiastic, and Hsiang wrote up a plan based on his experience at a community garden in a small Connecticut town. The garden would be built and managed by volunteers with support from the town government. Hapgood suggested that the garden, if approved by the Select Board, would become a project of the China For a Lifetime Committee which relies entirely on volunteers to improve quality of life for community members of all ages. The garden would be built on town property, and a fee of $25, $15 for seniors, would cover the season’s rental of each four-foot x eight-foot bed . A raised bed in a community garden can provide a surprising amount of vegetables, herbs, and flowers and is also a source of exercise, education, and camaraderie for people who may not have growing space, sufficient sunlight, or ability to garden without assistance… by Jude Hsiang