OSWEGO – On Thursday the East Side Community Garden reopened with a photo opportunity with those who made the facelift possible, including Mayor Billy Barlow, Counselor Shawn Burridge and Kelly Mosher, one of the board of directors.
While construction was announced in May, it took quite some time to get to this point where residents can utilize their plots. This is somewhat understandable, as Burridge explained.
Originally, the committee wanted to use the Department of Public Works, but it has been quite busy with marina among other things. Because of this, the committee used Paul Dean while the city had to temporarily put the project on the backburner.
“I think the most important part and the best part was having it at least workable. It took us a long time to get things going,” Burridge said. “The city is having a real busy time with the marina, the pier, Breitbeck, we’ve got a bunch of houses being taken down and sold or renovated. The city has been doing a lot of work this year.”
The selection of plots run for about half of the original size of the community garden located on East Schuyler Street between 7th and 9th. While the garden was cut down, it should help to keep the garden from deteriorating like it did over the last several years.
Mosher said it was very exciting to see a working product, one that can be used for the back portion of the 2021 season. According to Mosher, there are roughly 18-20 people “anxiously waiting” to plant their gardens which can happen now as people begin to file into their garden beds.
With the increased focus on upkeep and maintaining the garden itself, the board of directors created a list of rules. These are located on the back of the community garden sign and include an agreement with members to winterize their plots, open them back up in the spring and properly maintain the appearance of their plot.
The board and city is committed to these rules in order to avoid another dilapidated garden. Despite the rules, Burridge urged members to communicate. If they are having trouble with their garden, the board and city want to know so they can help. He added that the biggest thing is to take care of the plot.
While the garden is in working condition, Burridge wants to see a couple more things done as people begin to plant their seeds. The first is bringing several raised garden beds over by the shed and shade for more accessible gardening. These will be by a bench so older members can sit and tend to their bed in a way that is easier for them.
“We’re going to run water, we’re going to clean more of the tree line out and we’re going to take down some of the trees,” Burridge said. “Right now we have a base to work with, and I’d like to see it get better and better and better.”
Ultimately, Burridge sees the community garden as a community hub for people to enjoy the nice weather and fresh produce. He wants to bring in gardeners or farmers from different local businesses to offer some sort of seminar to learn more about a given crop in a laid-back manner.
For community members across Oswego, anyone can do so by joining the garden’s Facebook page or emailing the garden’s email address, [email protected].
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