Community gardens ready to produce

At 710 East 7th Street, McCook Church of Christ, Wayne Vogel is offering 11 plots already tilled for those who wish to garden but don't have the property to do so. Shown at the church is Arianna Pate, first row from left, and Kenzie Michaelis. Back, Vogel, Bethany Vogel and Jim Allen. (Courtesy photo)

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook residents once again have the opportunity to connect with nature and one another while growing healthy food.

For the second season, McCook Church of Christ is furnishing 11 garden plots, each just shy of 800 square feet, north of the church building at 710 East 7th Street. This offering is for those who wish to have their own garden and don't have land on which to do it.

Minister Wayne Vogel tills the ground and provides manure to fertilize as well as garden hoses and sprinklers. Gardeners provide their seeds or plants and use their own garden tools.

At McCook Community Garden on West Q, above, Dave Winder's grandchildren, Coleton, from left, Grady and Gracie, help build raised beds. (Courtesy photo)

Since two plots can be watered at the same time, gardeners may buddy up to water one another's plots, spending half the amount of time it would take on one's own.

Vogel offers watering assistance for those with physical limitations; he can water those plots in the middle of the night with a timer.

The church requires gardeners to abide by its rules, which include weeding and watering regularly so crops thrive. Herbicides are limited and only mild insecticides may be used.

Call the church at (308) 345-2907 -- or, better yet, stop by the church office -- for the list of rules, which gardeners are required to sign, Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Produce grown at 710 East 7th Street belong to the gardeners who planted and cultivated them, while McCook Community Garden is free and open to everyone with a need.

This is the fourth season for the community garden, a labor of love for Dave Winder. This is the second season at its location on West Q Street, between West 7th and West 8th streets. The property has been donated for use by the community garden by local investors, HCC Leasing.

Doug Hauxwell once again tilled this spring. He labored tirelessly this past spring to break up the hard ground in preparation for the first planting. He also planted corn and potatoes, which he will do again this year.

The garden crew hopes to have enough volunteers to spread the work around this season. This past year, groups adopted a crop by purchasing seeds or plants, planting them and caring for them through harvest.

The Good Earth Gardeners is one group who adopted a crop in 2014. Using raised beds Winder built, they grew lovely tomatoes that were as tasty as they were pretty.

Families or groups who want to adopt a crop should call Winder at (308) 340-8733. This year, the garden is pushing to have planting teams, weeding teams and watering teams to ensure the crops are taken care of through harvest.

Many hands make for light work. Anyone with even one hour of free time would be helpful.

"It's a great time to spend outdoors with our friends and neighbors, helping with a very worthy cause: to provide fresh vegetables and fruits for the community," said Kerri Long, community garden volunteer.

Another way to help the McCook Community Garden is by buying Schwan's ice cream online at or over the phone at 1-855-870-7208. Or, customers may ask their Schwan's route employees to enter the code 20274 when buying products.

From May 1-June 15, the community garden will receive 20 percent of sales and 40 percent of gift-card purchase amounts; and thereafter will receive 5 percent of sales for an entire year from Schwan's. The garden hopes to raise $10,000.