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Community gardens planned near Citizens Hose in Harrison's Birdville neighborhood | TribLIVE.com
Valley News Dispatch

Community gardens planned near Citizens Hose in Harrison's Birdville neighborhood

Tawnya Panizzi
Tawnya Panizzi
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Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
From left: Citizens Hose EMT supervisor Jim Erb; Autumn Monaghan, co-chairperson of Highlands Family Partnership; and Citizens Hose ground maintenance manager Tim Cushey. They are shown in a field next to Citizens Hose’s fire station in Harrison in February. The groups are starting a volunteer community garden at the site.

A community garden in the Birdville section of Harrison is expected to be producing crops by summer.

The groundbreaking for the one-acre plot adjacent to Citzens Hose Fire-EMS-Rescue is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, March 24. The public is invited.

“We are so excited to move forward with this and give people access to all that it can offer,” said Autumn Monaghan of Highlands Partnership Network.

The nonprofit is working with Citizens Hose to launch the community garden, paid for with a $50,000 grant secured with help from state Sen. Lindsey Williams.

The garden will be planted on former baseball fields that adjoin the fire department and ambulance service along Burtner Road.

Monaghan said fresh veggies, herbs and fruit will help battle food insecurity for people throughout all parts of the municipality.

There are also plans to donate overflow produce to neighboring gardens in Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood and in Tarentum.

“We are thrilled to be in partnership with the community garden and its leadership in Harrison,” said the Rev. Phil Beck of First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum.“It makes sense that we should work together to get food to people who would love to have fresh food straight from a garden. We are happy to share our knowledge of what has worked and hasn’t worked for us.”

Beck oversees the Greg Blythe Friendship Garden near Dreshar Stadium in Tarentum.

Jim Erb, supervisor of the EMS housed in the former Birdville Elementary School, said the partnership is driven by the simple hope of providing a necessity to residents.

Organizers hope the space not only offers healthy food but grows into a place where people can connect and learn.

A unique feature of the site will be a bike-lending station.

Monaghan also plans to offer workshops at the garden and other educational programs on a variety of topics.

Volunteers are needed to plant, prune and harvest the produce.

For more information, email info@highlandspartnership.org.

Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.

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Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch
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