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If you drive past Harvest Hills, you may notice some work being done. In the fall of 2016 a group of Saratoga Springs residents in the Harvest Hills HOA proposed the creation of a Community Garden. Bryan King, one of the organizers and a resident of Harvest Hills, explains ” The proposal was to build something in an open space that was native. It was planned so it would be self-sustaining after a few years. It would give a chance for people to learn from experienced gardeners, have a share of fresh fruit and vegetables by working in the garden, buy a zucchini for dinner, or renting a bed with water to have a family garden.”
They pitched their idea to the Harvest Hills HOA. King continues, “The HOA Board liked the idea and allocated budget for the first phase. Work was begun in early spring, clearing the lot and building rock walls to terrace the land. We found many rocks and small boulders as work began. The work was more difficult than expected. When we went to put in irrigation it was difficult to find access to water. We worked for a long time with the city and found the location of the stub and got a connection to metered water.”
King attributes that success of the project to the volunteers. “The garden wouldn’t be anywhere close to what it is without all the volunteers who have helped so much. More than 200 people have volunteered at the garden so far. They built, put a roof on, and painted a shed, put up a grapevine fence, built rental beds, put in tons of hours moving rocks, and building rocks walls, and chipping sage brush. Many people have offered long hours doing things for less than they usually charged for their work. We are grateful too all of them!”
Jim Miller, Saratoga Springs Mayor and Stephen Willden, Saratoga Springs City Council have worked on the project as well, they made this comment about their experience. “We are both grateful for the opportunity to work on such a great community project. We believe that the best way to build a community is to roll up your sleeves and work side-by-side with your neighbors. We want to continue to highlight these type of volunteer projects throughout the community over the next four years.”
The garden currently has perennial beds and rental beds with water ready. King continues, “We will be planting perennials, putting dirt into the rental beds and building some berry beds before the ends of the year. We have a limited number of rental beds available for $25 for a 4’x8’ plot, to get one please email harvesthillsgardens@gmail.com.”
If you would like more information on this project, you can visit the Harvest Hills Gardens FB page at: http://www.facebook.com/harvesthillsgardens or email them at harvesthillsgardens@gmail.com. The Harvest Hills HOA is also considering other improvements. You can also follow the activities of the HOA on their FB page as well: https://www.facebook.com/hhmasterhoa.
This is a great example of residents, city government, and HOAs working together to create workable solutions for people in the area. I hope that other communities will get together and follow the example of what the Harvest Hills area is doing in Saratoga Springs.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.