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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, June 14-17, 2008 A-17 The Park Record Community gardens grow etable-growing class held in Denver were nearly sold out in By SUSAN CLOTFELTER, Florissant, west of Colorado April. DOUGLAS BROWN AND Springs, in April. He helped "Part of it is the movement to DANA COFFIELD bring a community greenhouse to eat locally and know where your Woodland Park and a similar food is from," said Cathy The Denver Post Seed sales are way up. project is under way in nearby Chittum, who manages eight community gardens in Boulder. Community gardens are long sold Divide. Even outside Colorado moun- "But high food prices contribute out. Calls for help converting suburban lawns to lush raised tain communities, budgets are to that as well." Ralph Futch, a member of the vegetable beds are coming in to just as tight and food-safety fears Arvada Garden Club in suburban extension agents fast and furious. just as fierceDenver Urban Gardens, a Denver, said the chatter over the Folks worried about rising food and fuel prices, and con- nonprofit organization that helps bean poles last week was about cerned about how and where establish community gardening the salmonella outbreak linked to their fruits and veggies are plots, typically helps open four to grocery store tomatoes. grown, are investing heavily in six new gardens each year; this "There is a concern about year, it's doing 10 and had to push food quality," he said. Demand home-grown produce. back a few more into next year. has soared for plots at the 40Soil, it seems, is the new oil. "I'm not a psychologist, but "We really can't build them fast year-old garden in Arvada. where when times are tough - like the enough." said executive director gardeners range in ace from 20 to 80. mortgage crisis, the financial cri- Michael Buchenau. sis and the energy crisis - people Most of the 75 Denver Urban In Jefferson County, horticultend to think a little bit more Gardens have waiting lists and ture extension agent Heather about covering their bases and staffers have asked gardeners Hodgin fielded enough calls from being self-sufficient where they who usually lease two plots to people looking for help convertcan," said Jim Dyer, who serves give one up so other people can ing their lawns to vegetable garon the board of the Sustainability participate. dens that she identified it as a Alliance of Southwest Colorado In Fort Collins in northern trend. and gardens on a ranch west of Colorado, Michelle Provaznik Among Hodgin's circle of Durango to feed his immedi- - friends with young ale and extended family. • • ..,. . . . i • • families, people are In Cripple Creek, Colo., With gas prices going up, this is adding tomatoes. where the price of auto and fwupe nnp +h; ri fhat'c hpalthx/ strawberries and raspnn unn r p n n one mn home-heatingg fuel is inching 9 You can ao waTs neaimy, b c r r i c s t o t h e i r lan 5_ g as high as the altitude and that's that Cani'uit'h scapes, all crops that h ' , gOOCJ J exercise .and dh the nearest big grocery store „ ., , , grow well in Colorado is 25 miles away, a communi- mately affect yOUf family S DOttOm and "are getting to be ty group commandeered an pricey in the grocery unused city greenhouse to line." store." start a community garden. The drive to - Michelle Provaznik, grow your "This got started when a own means woman (from the area) community gardener a bumper crop of sales called me and said, "People for seed companies. up here arc trying to decide " ^ " ™ ^ ^ ^ ^ ™ Curtis Jones, cowhether to eat or heat their owner of Botanical homes,' " said Larry Slebbins, said all the vegetable plots are Interests in suburban who teaches gardening to kids rented and gardeners have been Broomfield, predicts a banner out working them since March. year. and adults in the greenhouse. The greenhouse plots are Her waiting list is slacked up with Jones advises gardeners to people eager to get their hands grow the foods they easily can, going fast. Gertrud Wuellner. 41, a school dirty. saying most herbs, lettuce, "I think they're feeling squashes and kale "are so easy bus driver, brought her four kids to a Wednesday morning class at pinched," she said of people you'd be crazy not to" - and if the greenhouse because her eager to grow food. "With gas you can't grow your own, buy youngsters are enthused about prices going up, this is the one from local producers as often as the garden the family started at thing you can do that's healthy, possible. that's good exercise and that can home. Shanan Olsen, co-owner of "We figured out we can at ultimately affect your family's Abbondanza Organic Seeds and least grow some tomatoes, some bottom line." Produce, a community supported Thirty-six plots in a new com- agriculture program north of beans and peas, to cut down on the produce cost," she said. munity garden south of Castle Denver, said her business grew "We'll grow lettuces - things we Rock sold out in a flash. from 36 members to 350 in five Colorado State University exten- years and will likely expand to cat a lot." Stebbins. a master gardener, sion agents are working with pub- 500 next year. Seed sales are up has been busy this spring teach- lic schools and homeowners asso- too, she said. ing people to grow their own food ciations to develop more garden "People are more interested in and helping create places to do it. plots. growing their own food, and they're His classes arc crowded - 55 Most community garden plots excited to see locally adapted seed," showed up to a high-altitude veg- in Boulder County north of she said. Thinking about _ INVISALldN? 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