“Crazy” Growers Expanding Community Garden, Second Season Kicks Off Soon
Tai Saylor, owner of Rocky Hill Farms, has many passions that keep her on the move constantly, but it seems her love for community gardens tops the passionate entrepreneur’s “to do” list.
A few years ago, Saylor, who grew up in Mineral Wells, spent two years working in New Mexico with the FoodCorps teaching school aged kids about healthy eating and educating communities on the possibility of growing their own nourishing foods.
“FoodCorps is a great program and it really takes a buy-in from the local schools and your community,” said Saylor.
She is hopeful her passion for getting nutritious foods to underserved communities will spread and says she would love to see that same national program come to Mineral Wells eventually, but in the mean time, she and a team of like-minded volunteers created their own local opportunity for anyone who wants to grow their own foods.
In 2021, Let’s Grow Crazy was established, and a local community garden was planned and developed on an empty lot in a neglected area near downtown Mineral Wells. Along with the help of many volunteers LGC opened the community garden growing space in March 2022.
Twelve wooden grow boxes were leased by community members to grow most anything the gardeners wanted. While the summer of 2022 was a brutal growing season for all North Texas gardeners, some LGC community growers persisted and saw some success at the end of the growing season.
Saylor who serves as the Director of the LGC community garden, is positive the second ever community garden season will be even better than the first.
“Technology has been put in place this year that will enable us to better communicate and help educate the growers to help them be as successful as they can be,” said Silva.
On Saturday March 11, the Let’s Grow Crazy Community Garden, will open up for their second growing season located at 500 SE 2nd Avenue. LGC has expanded the number of available gardening beds this year and have also lowered the price to lease a bed.
This season, with the help of some local Mineral Wells High School wood shop students, the community garden spaces grew from 12 grow boxes to 24 boxes. The lumber was purchased with a grant from the local Rotary Club.
This year the community garden growing season will run from March until November and will cost $180 per grow box, or $20 each month. Definitely noteworthy is that the garden boxes are friendly on your knees and back.
“The grow boxes are tall enough that people don’t have to bend over and they also come loaded with nutrient rich soil and a water tap. You just have to provide the seeds and the labor,” said Silva.
The leaders of the LGC community garden also have access to some scholarships if anyone would like to participate in growing a garden in the community but don’t have the funds available.
On Saturday March 11th, community members are invited to opening day to meet with other gardeners, choose your garden spot and begin planting your seeds. If you are interested in participating in this year’s Let’s Grow Crazy Community Garden or if you have any questions, please reach out to Tai Saylor at (940) 859-1841. Come be part of an amazing community!
