In the Field with Mollie: KELT LOCAL Garden

The KELT Local Garden is truly a hidden gem within the Bath community but is unlike a typical community garden.

Mollie helps young gardeners to water plants.

Instead of having individuals pay to lease specific beds, KELT staff and volunteers work very hard to maintain the entire garden throughout the year. All of the produce that is harvested from the garden is donated to KELT’s partner organizations who then distribute the produce within the Bath community.

The garden is tucked in at the corner of High and Lemont Streets on Bath’s south side. The majority of people living in the Bath area have probably driven by the garden hundreds of times and never noticed. In fact, I had no idea that a community garden existed in Bath until I started working at KELT as their Summer Program Steward.

The KELT Community Engagement Manager, Emily Pistell, gave me a tour of the garden during my first few days on the job so I could get acquainted with the space. Emily was starting a new educational program called “Parent and Baby in the Garden” which I would help her facilitate every week throughout July and part of August.

Planting cucumbers!

Upon my first visit to the garden, I immediately fell in love with the space and the warm feeling it provided. I walked past the wooden fence by the road and through the arbor situated at the head of the garden. Grape vines hung down from the arbor and unfurled toward the sides like arms reaching out to give a welcoming hug. The birds were singing, everything was green, and the garden beds were overflowing with bright flowers and fresh produce. I said to Emily, “This place is amazing! Do people in the community come here regularly?”. Emily responded "Unfortunately, people don’t really know about the garden, but maybe you can work on that this summer.”

Arbor of grape vines.

I thought deeply about Emily’s comment as we walked further into the garden. My head started to flood with ideas for general improvements, community programs, and future events. Emily noticed my excitement and suggested that I start spending more time at the garden.

Designating time for the garden each week would allow me the opportunity to see how the space is used and get to know KELT’s Garden Coordinator, Laurie Burhoe, as well as the volunteers who maintain the garden. It would also provide the opportunity for me to identify which needs the garden is meeting for the Bath community and what needs may still be unmet. With so much beauty and potential, the KELT LOCAL Garden quickly became one of my main focuses of the summer.

“It became clear to me that the garden is an extremely special place because it provides people of all ages and abilities the space to come together to learn new skills, socialize, and improve their overall wellbeing. ”

I attended weekly volunteer work days where I would chat with local teenagers and retirees while we pulled weeds, spread mulch, and washed the harvested produce. I also helped with educational programs in the garden, like Parent and Baby where I would find myself assisting toddlers and small children with planting cucumbers and carrots. It became clear to me that the garden is an extremely special place because it provides people of all ages and abilities the space to come together to learn new skills, socialize, and improve their overall wellbeing. However, it was obvious that general improvements, like signage and new picnic tables, were much needed.

LOCAL Garden volunteer day.

In addition to these updates, it also seemed like more could be done to make the space inclusive and accessible for people with limited mobility. After several discussions with Emily and Laurie about ways to improve the garden, I began writing a formal garden proposal and budget. The proposal includes general maintenance, making the garden ADA accessible, and adding a children’s play area. I am really looking forward to seeing how these proposed ideas turn out and how they will enhance people’s gardening experience in the future.

Fresh produce ready for the Bath Sharing Table.

Overall, the LOCAL Garden really shaped my work at KELT this summer and I learned a lot while working at the garden. First and foremost, I acquired skills related to planting vegetables and growing food. I also learned about the prevalence of hunger and food insecurity in the Bath area which I was not previously aware of. According to the Merrymeeting Food Council’s “Food Farm’s and Fisheries Assessment”, 13.4 % of Bath residents are at risk of hunger, or food insecurity -- a significantly higher percentage than in surrounding cities and towns. One of the missions of the KELT LOCAL Garden is to decrease hunger and food insecurity within the Bath community. All of the food that is grown and harvested from the KELT LOCAL Garden is brought to the Sharing Table at Patten Free Library in Bath.

I hope that sharing a little bit about my work at the KELT LOCAL Garden this summer will increase awareness around this incredible resource and will encourage more people to get involved at the garden. Even though my time as Summer Program Steward has come to a close, I am still really excited about the garden and can’t wait to see how it is enhanced in the near future.