Community garden brings residents together

This year marks the fifth year since Oak Ridge Manor opened their community garden. The garden is a 35-foot by 50-foot area where anyone who wants a gardening plot receives one.

Out of the 115 residents, 26 of them participate in the community garden. Oak Ridge Manor emphasizes sharing produce from the garden with non-gardeners.

“There is always so much that we try to share with everyone that wants some,” said Kathleen Kalina, the garden manager.

For residents in scooters and chairs, there are raised beds. Hastings High School shop class students built the raised beds. In the future, Oak Ridge Manor hopes to have additional raised beds added to the garden.

Garden members agree that not only is gardening a good way to pass time, but that it also gives them the opportunity to stay active.

Howard Christie has been growing things all his life. He was in 4H and lived on a farm in Wisconsin prior to moving to Oak Ridge Manor.

“I enjoy watching things grow,” said Christie.

Last year, Christie’s large cabbage was the talk of the garden.

Even for those residents who do not participate in gardening, the gardens are still enjoyable.

“It was an unexpected surprise, but a lot of non-gardeners love to watch the gardeners work and watch things grow,” said Al Risberg, manager of Oak Ridge Manor.

The garden is great because it also brings residents together that may not have interacted with one another before, said Risberg.

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