Planning the community’s garden

Twenty-four Bay View and Milwaukee-area residents met Jan. 19 at Transfer Pizzeria and Café to plan transforming part of an empty lot on the grounds of the Hide House near Greeley Street and Deer Place into a community garden site.

Most were from Bay View, with others coming from Cudahy, Shorewood, and Wauwatosa. Many offered their assistance with tasks including composting, garden layout and planning, and water acquisition.

Bay View resident Melissa Tashjian is spearheading the community garden project. She looks forward to the community garden becoming a rallying point for Bay View. 

“The garden will be available to neighborhood residents, churches, and other community groups to grow food for themselves or others,” Tashjian said. “Community gardens bring people together to feed their minds, souls, and bellies with healthy food.”

Victory Garden Initiative, a Shorewood-based urban agriculture group, has been granted a three-year no-cost lease on the land by General Capital Group, owner of the Hide House properties.

Sig Strautmanis, a partner at General Capital Group, was present at the planning meeting. He said the company has “been wanting to do something interesting with this vacant parcel since we bought the Hide House in 2006, and the concept of community gardens kept resurfacing. We have always wanted to make Hide House a community-focused project and this is a great addition to that vision. I have been amazed at the initial outpouring of community support for the garden concept. It has this great vibe that combines sustainability, community, and a direct connection to our food.”

Victory Garden Initiative coordinates volunteers in planning and building gardens at houses and businesses around the Milwaukee area, including the author’s Pennsylvania Avenue residence.

Gardeners will be able to rent planting beds for a nominal fee. The beds will be “raised beds” that sit a foot above the surface of the ground. Tasks such as weeding and harvesting can be performed without bending or stooping to the ground in gardens with a raised bed design. The spacing also ensures the beds are accessible by people in wheelchairs, or by those bearing wheelbarrows.

The plots will measure four-by-four-feet and four-by-eight-feet.

Monthly classes will be offered for people who are unfamiliar with gardening. The classes will be held at Future Green, 2352 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., and will cost $20 per person, with all proceeds going to support the community garden.

People interested in renting a plot or otherwise joining the community garden are encouraged to contact Melissa Tashjian at (773) 383-9279 or mtash34@yahoo.com.

Jason Haas will have an executive role in the community garden planning process.