Welcome to our blog! The Indiana Community Garden is in Indiana, Pennsylvania- a town noted for its vibrant downtown district, arts community, and home of famous actor Jimmy Stewart. We are located inside Mack Park, which is within walking distance to IUP and downtown.
By perusing the different pages you can learn about the garden and why it is a perfect place for gardening, socializing, learning, relaxing, exercising, and doing volunteer service. There are hyperlinks throughout the pages which connect to websites of local businesses and organizations and to articles of information. Be sure to check the ANNOUNCEMENTS page often for updates on upcoming events. We welcome your comments.
Click here to go to the website of the Indiana Community Garden.
The concept of a community garden was realized through the hard work of many volunteers, supported by donations from individuals, local businesses, and a grant from the Indiana County Endowment.
The concept of a community garden was realized through the hard work of many volunteers, supported by donations from individuals, local businesses, and a grant from the Indiana County Endowment.
Construction of the Indiana Community Garden began on April 14, 2012. The garden was launched as a hundred or more people came to the one-acre designated space at Mack Park to construct garden beds, dig, and haul soil. Students from IUP, local residents, local organizations and businesses, and Master Gardeners from the Penn State Extension Office worked all day to prepare the community garden.
There are 24 private garden plots. And for public enjoyment, there is a very large I-shaped raised bed plus three smaller beds. The garden has a pavillion with picnic tables underneath, making it a popular gathering spot. A handsome bench flanked by pots of flowers is set between garden beds and is a pleasant place to sit and admire the gardens.
Whether doing volunteer work, gardening in one of the rented plots, or just visiting the garden, people value the Indiana Community Garden as an inclusive space that facilitates social relationships and encourages healthy lifestyle choices.
The Indiana Community Garden is managed by volunteers
affiliated with organizations such as IUP, Penn State Cooperative
Extension of Indiana County, the Indiana Garden Club, the Evergreen
Garden Club, and Indiana schools.
During its second year of operation, the Indiana Community Garden won two significant awards.
Welcome to Indiana, a nonprofit/volunteer group, presented the Indiana Community Garden with its 2013 Image Award, recognizing the community garden for beautifying a prominent outdoor space in the Indiana vicinity.
The Indiana Community Garden was a winner of the 2013 Community Greening Award, from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Mission and Vision
Indiana Community Garden Mission Statement:
The Indiana Community Garden project seeks to create a healthy and enjoyable community movement through planting, harvesting, cultivating, educating, cooking and sharing of knowledge and ideas. Together, all aspects of community garden will be promoted, explored and implemented.
Indiana Community Garden Objectives:
•To increase access to fresh food by cultivating communal and individual plots
•To acquire or purchase all the resources necessary to garden
•To provide a series of workshops on gardening and related topics
•To promote personal learning by sharing experience and knowledge
•To build connections with various community groups
•To develop opportunities for volunteer activities
•To use sound ecological practices while gardening
•To keep the public informed of community garden events
The Indiana Community Garden project seeks to create a healthy and enjoyable community movement through planting, harvesting, cultivating, educating, cooking and sharing of knowledge and ideas. Together, all aspects of community garden will be promoted, explored and implemented.
Indiana Community Garden Objectives:
•To increase access to fresh food by cultivating communal and individual plots
•To acquire or purchase all the resources necessary to garden
•To provide a series of workshops on gardening and related topics
•To promote personal learning by sharing experience and knowledge
•To build connections with various community groups
•To develop opportunities for volunteer activities
•To use sound ecological practices while gardening
•To keep the public informed of community garden events
When the Indiana Community Garden was in its beginning stages, some people thought the garden would not be successful and that it would be vandalized. But the community garden flourished in its first year. For its second growing season, nine more raised beds were added, and all the plots were rented before the growing season began.
One of the community garden's coordinators said, “I don’t think we even know all the ways this community garden has impacted people.” The biggest way, she thinks, is that many people now realize things are possible where before, they didn’t think that way.
Now those people are opening their minds to other possibilities.
Learn more about public gardens in Indiana County:
Here is a link to the website of the American Community Gardening Association:
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