Winchester hopes to grow community through garden project
The Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Drive, is getting a new community garden, but Patrick Gaffey, cultural program supervisor for Clark County, said it wasn't his idea.
"I thought we already had too many things on our plate," Gaffey said. "It became pretty clear that we were going to have to find the resources to do it. The demand from the community was too strong."
The garden is under construction, and when it is ready, staff members have high hopes that it will provide more fresh food for the community.
The plan is to have six to eight raised beds and have each of them assigned to people from the neighborhood, said recreation cultural specialist Joseph House, who is leading the project. "They'll have it for the growing season, and then in the next growing season, someone else will take it over. We figure there will be three growing seasons."
Some of the details haven't been worked out, but House believes the fee for a plot per season will be around $50 and 10 percent of the crop yield, which will be distributed at the center. One plot is designated for the community, and all of the growers will share the duties to tend it and grow food that will also be distributed at the center.
"The people who want to have a plot will have to take a class prior to getting it to understand how our garden is managed," House said. "It will be taught by the Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners and will probably consist of six one-hour classes."
Program officials expect plenty of volunteers and people lined up for a plot.
"When we had our first meeting about this a year ago, about 50 volunteers showed up," Gaffey said. "We may have lost a little momentum because it took so long to get the pipes in, but I think we'll see plenty of people at the kickoff."
The kickoff is scheduled at 10 a.m. July 25 at the center, when authors Markus Rothkranz and Cara Brotman are set to speak on the subject of organic, raw plant-based meals.
"They're both Las Vegas residents, but they are internationally known authors on the subject of eating raw food," Gaffey said. "He is also a filmmaker, and she is a chef."
For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 702-455-7340.
To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.
