Natrona Community Garden growing its reach

The Natrona Community Garden will feed even more people this year from its plots along Federal Street thanks to support from the nonprofit Grow Pittsburgh.

The garden was awarded $1,200 to repair planters, add growing boxes and purchase equipment, garden coordinator Drew Jonczak said.

The lifelong Natrona resident has tended to the garden for about five years and said many people in town benefit from the fresh lettuce, beans and kohlrabi.

“We have a few beds that have deteriorated, and we’ll buy new wood for those,” he said.

“Wood’s pretty expensive these days so we’ll see what we can do.”

Grow Pittsburgh was founded in 2005 to develop and support food-growing initiatives as a means to improve social, economic and health situations across the region.

Rayden Sorock, director of community projects, said the garden was chosen for a grant because of its longevity, its connection to youth programming and the fact that Natrona has a high proportion of residents experiencing economic hardship and low access to healthy food.

“We hope the materials we can provide will get the garden off to a great start this season,” Sorock said.

The Natrona garden, started about 10 years ago by residents Pat Walters and Helen Strzesieski, has grown to include 34 raised planters and a grove of fruit trees. It began with help from Allegheny County, and Sorock said Grow Pittsburgh has been fortunate to watch the garden serve more residents each year.

“We envision the day when everyone in our city and region grows and eats fresh, local and healthy food,” Sorock said.

Most of the 4-by-10-foot planters in Natrona are rented by people for $10 a season. The cost pays for water, organic soil and fertilizer.

“The garden is so celebrated by the community,” said Bill Godfrey, organizer of advocacy group Natrona Comes Together.

The green space has drawn attention from volunteers across the region who want to help it succeed, Godfrey said.

Habitat for Humanity members have worked every summer at the garden, helping to build a mosaic wall and add wooden planters.

“The wall includes 25,000 hand-placed recycled bricks in metal gabion cages with mosaic fronts showcasing plants and birds found in the garden,” Godfrey said.

“It is not only beautiful, but the wall serves as a safety barrier and cuts down pollution from the street.”

Jonczak said the Grow Pittsburgh grant will pay for new lawn equipment to replace the second-hand items used at the space.

“We try to get them cheap but we really go through them,” he said.

With gardening season just around the corner, Jonczak said there are a few spaces still remaining for rent. Planters not spoken for are tended to by a group of volunteers and the harvest is distributed to people in need.

Jonczak said there is such an abundance of cabbage, beets and other fresh veggies that he is able to deliver boxes to the elderly in the community.

With any leftover grant money, Godfrey said plans are to build a 100-foot planter along the back of the mosaic wall.

“We have exciting plans to plant tall, beautiful sunflowers,” he said. “It should be a very dramatic entrance to Natrona.”