Soup kitchens and food banks in Lewisville will soon be able to add healthier options to their menus thanks to a community garden. Volunteers will grow fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in the garden and then donate the produce to charities.
"The most difficult thing for us is to get fresh food or vegetables on a regular basis," Lewisville Salvation Army Director Shelagh Skipsey said.
The Salvation Army in Lewisville plans well-balanced menus, but Skipsey said fresh produce can be expensive. They serve canned vegetables and fresh fruit if it's donated.
"We want to help them up. What better way to help them get back on their feet than healthy, nutritious food," Knight Light Charities Board Member Rich Lubke said.
Lubke came up with the idea for the community garden. Upper Trinity Regional Water District donated the land, and volunteers will tend the gardens. The organic produce will then go to the Salvation Army and Christian Community Action in Lewisville.
"But also, there will be a public learning process about the whole concept of organic gardening. To keep chemicals out of our water supply. To protect our water supply," Upper Trinity Regional Water District Executive Director Tom Taylor said.
The first 24 plots are already in place, but the vision for this garden is much larger. When phase three is complete, there will be at least 100 different plots.
