Austintown plants seeds for a community garden on the east side

By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Local community members and township officials are working together to bring life to the former Woodside Elementary School property on Elmwood Avenue.

After months of planning, supporters broke ground Thursday night on the Woodside Community Garden. After a short ceremony, a group of township residents got their hands dirty and began planting sunflower seeds.

Dale Basista, a garden committee member, said the sunflower patch is step one. Surrounding the property with wildflowers will come next.

“We want to beautify this property as much as possible,” he said.

The township obtained the 7-acre property in a land swap with the Austintown School District. Rick Stauffer, chairman of the township trustees, said they wanted to protect the land. When Basista came to the board with the idea of a community garden, that seemed perfect.

“We can do something good for this community with it,” Stauffer said. “Something good on the east side of Austintown is really good for the township.”

The committee decided to start with a sunflower patch and wildflowers because they are drought-resistant. One of the first major projects is digging a well.

“We need a water source before we can grow anything else,” Basista said.

Once the garden has a water source, berry patches, vegetable gardens and fruit trees will follow. If the plans become a reality, Basista said it would be one of the largest community gardens in the U.S.

There will be space for local residents who want to plant their own fruits and vegetables, but much of the food will be distributed to local food banks and those in need.

Local artist Chris Yambar was one of the first people to donate to the community garden. He spoke about his memories of attending the school and said it was emotional for a lot of people when the school was demolished.

“I am so thrilled to know that this property is not going to languish,” Yambar said.

Judge Anthony D’Apolito also spoke at the ceremony. He said he wants to remain engaged with the community that elected him, and the garden is exactly the kind of project he wants to support.

Fundraising efforts are underway for a well and other projects. The first major fundraising effort is a craft show and flea market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 27 at the garden property. Donors also can contribute to a GoFundMe campaign at www.gofundme.com/woodside-community-gardens.

While the fruits of the garden will benefit those in need, growing plants is secondary to strengthening the Austintown community, Basista said.

“We want to bring the community together,” Basista said. “It’s about getting neighbors together with a common goal.”