The Russell Library is starting a community garden, and the army is helping out. On May 10, a group of Canadian Armed Forces personnel from Station Leitrim helped haul soil and create the garden’s foundation. When everything’s planted and growing, the garden will feature fruit trees, vegetables, flowers, and other produce. According to library CAO Isabelle Camiré, it should be ready to plant in as early as next week. 

The Library Community Garden will provide opportunities for people to learn how to care for the earth and themselves by growing healthy, local food. Volunteers will plant and maintain the garden throughout the season, and fresh produce will be donated weekly to the Good Neighbour’s Food Bank. School groups will be invited to learn about sustainable gardening practices, and there are some small plots for children to use without fear of damaging other plants. 

Volunteers will be able to choose which jobs they want to do, whether it be weeding, planting, watering, or harvesting. There will be raised beds for volunteers with mobility issues, as well as jobs that don’t involve bending or kneeling down. 

Volunteers will be welcome to their fair share of the harvest.