Vassalboro community garden project moves on to next step

Karen Hatch, Vassalboro’s Community Program Director, is excited to announce the completion of AARP Community Gardens Project, Part of the 2024 AARP Community Challenge Grant Program.

This first year four raised beds were built with the help of several volunteers, mostly older adults. Four more will be built in the Spring 2025. These beds are handicapped accessible and are tall enough that one doesn’t have to bend over to tend the garden. The garden beds are located at the Vassalboro Town Office.

Steve Jones, owner of Fieldstone Gardens, in Vassalboro, provided help in determining where to place the garden boxes and also arranged purchasing the soil for the boxes and having the boxes filled. He also donated plants for the boxes.

Two garden benches are placed by the garden area for folks to be able to sit and rest or just enjoy being outside!

The goal of this community garden is to improve the health of the town residents by offering fresh garden produce, combat social isolation of older adults by having them come and socialize with other folks who are gardening here, relieve food insecurities and enhance community connectedness.

Additional garden space will be made for all ages to be able to use to help forge connections and bonds across generations, incomes, races and cultures. In the spring of 2025, more information will be made available as to how to sign up for a garden spot. Priority for the taller raised beds will be given to older adults.