- Students from the Bellevue High School's Teen Leadership Class volunteered to help plant and harvest the Community Garden in 2019.
The 2019 growing season for The Bellevue Hospital's Community Garden was a success thanks to the help of the Bellevue High School's Teen Leadership Class and several volunteers throughout the course of the season.
Since its start in 2011, over five tons of produce has been harvested from the Community Garden, with 802 pounds of fruits and vegetables produced in 2019 alone.
All produce grown in the garden is donated to Bellevue Fish and Loaves and Clyde Backdoor Food Pantries to help feed the hungry in both communities.
The Community Garden project is a co-partnership between The Bellevue Hospital and the City of Bellevue and started eight years ago as a response to the 2008 recession and the increased need for available food at food pantries around the state.
The Community Garden began as a small 12 x 24 foot square space on the east side of The Bellevue Hospital's campus and has since grown into an estimated 1,000 square foot area which consists of three types of gardens.
The project now includes a large low-lands garden that consists of produce including butternut squash, peppers, peas, beans, carrots, sunflowers, strawberries and several different types of lettuce; a 12 X 12 foot demo box that is used to demonstrate how a small garden can be built at home and raise food for one family; and a herb garden.
In 2019, volunteers contributed nearly 400 hours to planting, weeding and harvesting to ensure the garden's success.
To learn more about the Community Garden, visit https://www.bellevuehospital.com/community-garden-blog. If you are interested in volunteering in the garden, please dial 419.484.5421 for more information.