About the time their summer vegetable gardens are just a fond memory to most Grand Rapids gardeners, the
Baxter Community Center will be setting up its first year-round gardening environment in its new heated greenhouse.
The 1,060-square-foot greenhouse is the latest addition to Baxter Community Center’s ongoing efforts to bring fresh produce and budget-friendly foods to a neighborhood classified by the Public Health Department as a “
food desert,” a place lacking sources of easily accessible foods and fresh produce. Construction began Sept. 6 and the greenhouse will be completed by the end of November.
“We’re working to set up holistic support for our neighbors, and the greenhouse will be a learning space to teach people how to garden and to provide starter plants for them to use,” says Melanie Beelen, executive director. "Our partners in the program are the YMCA and Our Kitchen Table -- the Y will focus on teaching nutrition, youth gardening and exercise; Our Kitchen Table will work with neighbors to provide one-on-one support for their home gardens.”
The greenhouse learning experience ties in with Baxter’s onsite community garden where neighbors plant and grow food for their families. And it will have a direct connection with Around the Table, a program that teaches people how to cook fresh produce now and preserve some of it for later use through canning. That program, in turn, works hand-in-hand with Double Up Food Bucks, which teaches people how to get more for their grocery dollar.
Dan Vos Construction is building the $200,000 structure, which was paid for with funding raised by Baxter Community Center. Dan Vos Construction has worked with Baxter on other projects, including the 2006 LEED-certified gymnasium.
“My dad was on the (Baxter) board for many years,” says Dan T. Vos, executive VP. “The passion the Baxter Community Center feels for their ministry is very contagious -- when you walk in there, you feel like you just want to help them. I think what they’re doing is going to give some health benefits to the neighborhood.”
Source: Melanie Beelen, Baxter Community Center; Dan T. Vos, Dan Vos Construction
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.