Community garden will expand as it receives grant

COUER D’ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Growing capacity at the Community Action Partnership Coeur d’Alene Food Bank just got bigger.

Boise State University senior Rachel Moore of Coeur d’Alene dedicated her capstone project to expanding the food bank’s community garden to feed more people and increase the fresh produce that will be available for those in need.

Moore and her crew of family members have worked on a small plot of land against the food bank building.

“We had the space that in years past had been used as a garden,” food bank manager Nicol Barnes said Saturday afternoon. “It was my vision a long time ago to expand it. I wrote a grant some months ago and got some funding for it, I just needed someone like (Rachel) to come along. It all fell into place really beautifully.”

Moore worked for several months contacting sponsors and making arrangements so her “garden initiative” project could become a reality. Completing this project will fulfill the requirements for her to receive her multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree; she is presently completing courses online.

“The requirement was 15 hours of donating time, but I never do the minimum,” she said with a laugh. “That’s my problem.”

The new community garden space will have three raised beds with seats for volunteers to rest on when they’re working, a path around the perimeter and the capability to grow hundreds of pounds of food. Lettuce, blackberries and raspberries are among the potential produce to be planted, but Moore said she will have a master gardener take a look and make some recommendations.

“Right now, if everything goes as planned, we’re only $12 over budget,” she said. “I love being able to complete what I say I’m going to do.”

Barnes said she is inspired by Moore’s work and grateful to Moore and her crew for contributing to the food bank’s fresh food supply.

“This is the only way we can get things like this accomplished,” she said. “We have limited funds, limited staff and without people like Rachel that are willing to do the project and people that are willing to donate the funds and materials, it wouldn’t get done.”

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Information from: Coeur d’Alene Press, https://www.cdapress.com