Vegetable Garden growing strong following relocation

Times Photo by Garrett Simmons. VEGETABLE GARDEN: The ceremonial passing of the golden shovel helped cap the grand re-opening ceremony at the Taber Food Bank Vegetable Garden.

By Garrett Simmons
For the Times

The Taber Food Bank Vegetable Garden is back in business.

On Wednesday, June 26, the garden hosted a grand reopening event, as organizers passed the ceremonial golden shovel and volunteers hit the field at the conclusion of the ceremony.

The garden, located between the Taber Dog Park and the Trout Pond, is a two-and-half acre oasis of vegetable goodness, set to serve the Taber Food Bank and the Vauxhall Food Bank, among others.

The garden actually got its start in 2016, according to Andy Puskas, who kicked off last Wednesday’s grand reopening with a bit of a history lesson.

Back then, the garden was located on Huckleberry Road, as Puskas added three people – Merrill Harris, Rick Anderson and Ray Sheen, played critical roles cultivating the garden over the years.

Now, with the move to a plot of land owned by The Town of Taber, and leased back to the Taber Food Bank, the golden shovel has been passed from volunteers from the Church of Latter-day Saints to the Taber Food Bank, to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the community project.

Puskas added a ton of work has been done in a short period of time to make the garden what it is today.

“Even sixth months ago, this didn’t look like this,” he said. “Now, we have a fence and gravel driveways.”

He added there are simply too many people to thank for getting the garden up and running at the new  location, as he mentioned a small army of volunteers, and donations from various sources, have helped immensely.

Taber Mayor Andy Prokop, in his speech, said the garden in a very important thing to support, and added he couldn’t thank everyone enough for helping achieve the milestone event.

“I look forward to this two-and a-half-acre acre location being successful.”

M.D. of Taber Reeve Tamara Miyanaga said the garden is so much more than food, and added the garden will help bring the community together as volunteers will stand side by side being good neighbours.

“We are so grateful for all of you that take the time and those who are behind the scenes.”

The fence that surrounds the structure was a major contribution to the project, one made possible by a donation from the Humanitarian Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Craig Hansen, president of Taber Food Bank Society, added he was also amazed at the progress which has been made at the site in such a short time.

“I remember the site last year and it was hardly growing grass,” he said. “I think we have the perfect site.”

He recognized the vision that Miyanaga and former food bank president, Vicki Koersen, had in bringing the current site to life, and added the garden will be a place to build community spirit.

“It’s a place where people can work  together to support the food back and support each other.”