Planting for the future

The YMCA Child Development Center, 231 E Lincoln St., has kicked off its annual campaign with something fresh. In early May, school-aged YMCA members, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, planted a community garden featuring a variety of vegetables and fruits outside the center. The project was made possible through a Serve Ohio National Day of Service Grant. With the help of Serve Ohio and SKY Landscaping — a small, Findlay-based business owned by veterans — the Child Development Center was able to begin developing the garden. In all, there were 48 bushes removed, and landscape beds were cleared out and filled with new soil. Seedlings were planted by the children, with the help of a few student volunteers from the University of Findlay. Jennifer Treece, YMCA development director, said Nicole Gosche, YMCA childcare director, worked with the children to bring the idea of the community garden to life. Treece said the childcare directors knew the garden would be beneficial to their classrooms, as the children will learn responsibility from tending to it. The garden will also yield healthy treats to be enjoyed in the classroom and at home with the kids' families. "This will be part of their responsibility," said Treece, who explained that the children will continue to maintain the garden throughout the year. "There are children who spend their whole summer there, and are there before and after school, too, so we really wanted to do a project that was up to them. That was part of our goal." According to Kiya Yeater, assistant child development director, the garden will teach the children about sustainability. "One of the children asked me, if they planted tomatoes next to watermelon, would they become tomato-flavored watermelons?" Yeater said with a laugh. "I had to tell them that wasn't exactly how it worked." Yeater said teaching the kids about which produce is appropriate to plant together was an important part of the gardening experience, however. She also mentioned that the garden has taken off fast, thanks to all the rain. Treece said the community garden will offer a wide range of fresh produce. "We've got everything," she said. "From tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers — just a little bit of everything. Some of them even started as seeds in the classroom." The Child Development Center has decided to make the garden an annual event, in hopes that it will one day help serve the community as a farmers market. Douglas: 419-427-8505