Eagan YMCA's New Garden Will Grow Produce for the Needy

It will cover 900 square feet, it will provide an outdoorsy educational experience for area youth and it will bring together a handful of area businesses and organizations.

But mostly, a new community garden at the will provide cartloads of fresh produce for needy local families, thanks to a partnership with the .

On Friday, the Eagan YMCA broke ground on the 26-foot-by-36-foot community garden, which is located near the Y's childcare entrance at its facilities at 550 Opperman Drive in Eagan. Eventually, YMCA officials hope the garden can grow tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini and other vegetables for the food shelf for use in the nonprofit's "Gardens to Tables" program.

Eagan YMCA Boardmember Terry Creegan has for several months championed the development of a community garden. An enthusiastic gardener who loves to get his hands dirty, Creegan says the garden will be a visible way for the YMCA to give back to Eagan. In addition to providing produce to the food shelf, the garden will serve as educational platform for the Y, which plans to host nature-centric classes for young children using the garden, Creegan said.

The YMCA has already drawn in a diverse set of partners to help get the garden established, according to YMCA Board Chair Sherie Wallace. Thomson Reuters has volunteered to help develop the garden, and Gopher Resource has pledged to donate compost, Wallace said.

The YMCA also called upon local Master Gardeners to help with training, garden layout, soil analysis and plant care.

Unlike traditional community gardens, the YMCA will not have garden plots available for use by community members. However, the Y plans to actively recruit volunteers to help maintain the garden. Creegan and Wallace hope to have the garden operational by the end of May.

“This is a very exciting project because it shows how the YMCA in Eagan enlists volunteers and corporate neighbors to meet an urgent need for needy families in the community to have fresh vegetables,” Eagan YMCA Executive Director  Nyam Smith said in a press release issued by the Y. "Staff and Y members are eager to make the garden a reality.”

Be sure to follow Eagan Patch on Twitter, "Like" us on Facebook, and sign up for our newsletters, which send you updates about stories, breaking news, announcements, events and blogs on our site.