In 1997, Anne Ivancic and
Kathy Lang of the CRC contacted the CGC about developing a community
garden at McKee for recreation program participants as well as nearby
neighbors. Permission was granted by Cincinnati Public Schools,
and part of Chase Elementary School grounds was tilled to be used
as an experimental community garden. Seniors and day-campers at
McKie grew vegetables and flowers and the center received lots of
calls from interested neighbors inquiring how they could get a garden
plot.
Now the garden is stronger
than ever. Gardeners take advantage of nearby Chase Elementary School
's greenhouse to grow native plant seedlings for use in the adjacent
prairie and woodland garden maintained by OPAN (Our Plants Are Native).
A large PAR (Plant a Row for the Hungry) garden is maintained by
the gardeners as well as beautification areas in the front of the
garden.
