By Mary Malone
Executive Director, Pend Oreille Conservation District

When the ribbon was cut and the gate swung open for its grand opening in July of 2022, the Newport Community Garden in Pend Oreille County in Washington state came to life. Since then, the garden has only continued to grow in partnerships, education, and, of course, all the lovely plants.

The Newport Community Garden serves as an educational space located behind the Newport Library for people to learn about gardening and enjoy the beauty of nature, even in the middle of town. As Mandy Walters, Director of the Pend Oreille County Library District noted during her talk at the grand opening, libraries are not just places to check out books – they are a community builder, safe space, and a learning hub.

“This garden helps us be all of those things,” said Walters.

As we have discovered through this project, strong partnerships are essential. The garden has been a true community effort, with a committee made up of members from the Library District, Friends of the Pend Oreille County Library District, the local Washington State University Extension and Master Gardeners, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed), the Pend Oreille Conservation District, and the Pend Oreille County Weed Board. Funding was provided by grants from the NACD Urban and Community Conservation Grant Initiative, SNAP-Ed, the Innovia Foundation, and Catholic Charities, with fundraising support from the Friends of the Library. The Kalispel Tribe of Indians donated a $350 metal sign, and plants were provided locally by The Plant Man. Additionally, Apex Innovations delayed another job to build the fence when no other contractors were available.

Beverly Sarles, who works with the Extension and the Master Gardeners, serves as the local coalition coordinator for the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative. In these roles, she said there is an overlap in working with families and youth to make the right choices, which starts with good nutrition, such as fresh vegetables.

“We are so happy we will have access to these things,” said Sarles. “This is just another way, hopefully, that we can establish some positive activities in our community.”

Kathie Schutte from the Friends of the Library pondered the question: What do gardens have to do with literacy?

“It’s all connected,” Schutte said. “And maybe if people are here, enjoying the garden, maybe they will go in and find a book to read too. So, it’s a perfect coalition and there is so much to learn in gardening.”

Since the garden’s opening, monthly educational events have been held, including soil basics, composting, invasive weeds, mushroom growing, berry growing, seed starting, and more. While most events are open to the general public, events have also been held with elementary school students from the 21^st Century Learning Center’s afterschool program. The 21^st Century Community Learning Center afterschool program is a grant-funded program to help students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools meet state and local standards in core academic subjects. Centers must also offer students a broad array of activities that can complement their regular academic programs.

The success of this garden couldn’t have been done without the strong partnerships and dedication of the committee members. We are working together to continue our monthly educational events, with all of us helping with the ongoing maintenance of the garden and raising funds to keep it growing strong.