Veteran's Garden Blooms at LBCC

The Veterans Garden at LBCC presents a new opportunity to learn and grow.

Established in the fall of the 2017-18 school year, the garden provides a space for veterans, and their friends and family to learn how to grow their own food.

The space created was a vision of former student Lisa Akers. “She wanted to set up a farm because she thinks it’s important for vets to be involved in more than just classes,” said Steve Olsen, vice president of the Veterans Club.

The garden was built through donated time and materials. It includes 10 raised garden beds, a garden shed, and a greenhouse. Most of the materials came from Home Depot. Coastal Farms donated the mats for the inside of the greenhouse. A local company based outside of Brownsville called Adaptive Seeds donated the seeds to start growing vegetables.

LBCC dedicated the piece of ground for the garden, which had to be flattened to be used.

There are mostly vegetables being grown in the garden, but maybe eventually strawberries and other fruits will be grown too. “It’s easiest for us to grow annuals,” said Miriam Edell.

Edell oversees the garden. “My job, I think, is to be the organizer, bringing people together and teaching.” She is part of the Agricultural Sciences staff at LBCC and is the only paid member of the garden workings. Other folks who are involved in the garden are donating their time to lend a hand.

Anyone who is a veteran, or friend or family member of a veteran is welcome to volunteer to work in the garden.

Free workshops are offered to anyone who would like to participate. They happen once a month on a Tuesday from noon to 12:50 p.m. at the garden. Brooke Edmunds, horticulture specialist from the OSU Extension Service, teaches the classes. The upcoming workshops include May 15, “Let's Talk Tomatoes,”; June 12, “Growing Culinary Herbs”; July 17, “What to Plant for a Fall and Winter Garden.”

Edell extended an invitation to veterans and their friends and family to work in the garden with her. Work in the garden currently takes place on Tuesdays, with the hopes of gaining enough volunteers to be able to do work several days a week.

At a Glace:

Contact Miriam Edell for more information via email at edellm@linnbenton.edu