Bumper Crop from Stark County Jail Garden Benefits MOWSW

The garden at the Stark County Jail is producing an excellent harvest so far this summer, yielding abundant crops that in turn are benefiting Meals On Wheels of Stark & Wayne Counties and its clients.

The garden, now in its second year, was started entirely from seed this year. Rudy Moyer, volunteer with Master Gardeners of Stark County, conducted a seed-starting workshop at the jail in the spring. Peppers and tomatoes were started indoors, then planted along with other produce when weather permitted planting outdoors. Seeds for the project were donated by the Stark County Farm Bureau and the OSU Extension.

The garden was planted by inmates at the jail, who also water and harvest the vegetables on a daily basis.

As of Aug. 10 almost 500 pounds of produce had been harvested and delivered to Meals On Wheels, including 130 pounds of tomatoes, 75 pounds of zucchini, 63 pounds of green peppers, 50 pounds of cucumbers, and 49 pounds of squash. Other items planted in this year’s garden include salad mix, chard, peas, onions, radishes, pole beans, leaf lettuce, and hot peppers.

Watch our blog for more details on the garden project.