{"id":21779,"date":"2024-12-11T11:19:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T19:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/?page_id=21779"},"modified":"2025-03-01T16:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T00:04:57","slug":"west-valley-food-garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/yakima\/mg-home\/educational-outreach\/our-gardens\/west-valley-food-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"West Valley Food Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"
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West Valley Food Garden<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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WSU Extension<\/span><\/a><\/span> > Yakima County<\/span><\/a><\/span> > News<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n\n
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Empowering residents through food independence<\/h1>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n
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The development of this 5,000 sq ft garden began in spring 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown. Yakima Master Gardeners knew that as people were losing their jobs more people would become dependent on Food Banks, and they also knew they could contribute free produce to help the community.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a Master Gardener donated use of the land, a team of Master Gardener volunteers began extensive soil development and conditioning to prepare the soil for successful garden crops. The ground was tilled, manure was hauled and tilled into the ground and several different cover crops were grown, to prepare the soil for healthy crop production. Finally, the 2022 soil testing determined that the site was ready.   <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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During the 2 years of preparation the team of Master Gardeners met with the Highland Food Bank management to determine which vegetables were needed and wanted by their clients.  Yakima Master Gardeners also applied for and received a $3000 grant from the Farm Credit Services to defray some of the costs. Master Gardener volunteers developed and installed a drip irrigation system, and crop trellises. A local tree service donated mulch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the WVFG vegetables are started in the Master Gardener greenhouse. Other vegetables are directly planted into the garden after the soil warms up.  Additionally, some flowers are grown to increase available food for pollinators needed for crop production.  <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n

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