The Webster County Master Gardeners have received a mini-grant from the 2019 Growing Together program, which is part of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardener program.

Master Gardener Doug Brightman said the group plans on using the $4,000 it received from the grant to create a donation garden, with all the foods grown being donated to The Salvation Army and the Lord’s Cupboard food pantry.

And Brightman said the Master Gardeners already have a location in mind for the donation garden.

“We’re going to convert a city-owned garden into a donation garden,” he said. “And the city is allowing us to use its first community garden developed in 2011.”

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Jeff Becker, left, co-owner of Becker Florists, looks over some pepper plants with Webster County Master Gardener William Ringwald. The Master Gardeners recently received a mini-grant to build a donation garden in Fort Dodge. Becker will be providing the plants for the garden.

That garden is located at Fourth Avenue South and South Seventh Street.

Right now, Brightman said efforts are underway to clean up that garden and get it ready for planting.

The goal is to plant about 13 types of produce in the garden. This includes tomatoes, zucchini, squash, potatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, melons, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots and beans.

Becker Florists is providing the plants for the garden, and Jeff Becker, co-owner, a Master Gardener himself, is coordinating those efforts.

Fellow Master Gardener William Ringwald, who has a background in engineering, is helping to design the garden and plots to make sure everything is in its proper place.

-Messenger photo by Peter Kaspari
Webster County Master Gardeners William Ringwald, left, and Doug Brightman look over preliminary plans for a new donation garden being planned for Fort Dodge.

And once it’s completed, the Master Gardeners will take care of maintaining the garden.

Cold weather has caused slight delays with getting everything started, but it hasn’t stopped efforts.

“Recent rain and cold weather hasn’t hampered our efforts to develop the donation garden,” Brightman said. “We are involved in the important step of planning.”

Becker said planting could start as soon as next week.

“I would like to get a few of the beds next week tilled and put some onions in,” he said.

The donation garden project is a collaborative effort between several entities. Besides the Master Gardeners and Becker Florist, the garden is also getting assistance from RoJohn Home Improvement, the Webster County Cultural and Diversity Team, the Fort Dodge Homebuilders Association, Midwest Fence & Gate Co,, Creative Signs & Graphics, Beisser Lumber Co. and Menards.

“We’re working on getting our project collaborators lined up,” Brightman said.

The goal is to address food scarcity in Iowa. According to information provided by Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, one in eight Iowans is food insecure, which means they do not have access to sufficient food to make up a healthy diet.

The only issue Brightman said they’ve encountered is the discovery that a family of deer occupies the current garden space during the early morning and late evening hours.

“Our 4-foot fence is not going to be high enough to keep them out,” he said. “We’re looking at how we’re going to extend the fence higher with deer netting.”

“We’re going to try to put some deer fencing over the top,” Becker added.

Brightman said the organizers of the garden are always looking for more assistance, and anyone who is interested in planting, maintaining or harvesting produce for the garden can contact the extension office at 576-2119 or emailing Brightman at dbrightman@frontiernet.net.