Janesville Community Center's Freedom Garden is saving bees, pulling weeds and planting dreams

JANESVILLE — The Freedom Garden, a partnership between the Hedberg Public Library and the Janesville Community Center, helps kids and community members learn about and eat garden-fresh vegetables and fruits.

Niqi Linneman, the executive director of the Janesville Community Center, said the garden at 305 Lincoln St. has been a work in progress since Memorial Day.

The community center has had a hand in several other partnerships with such groups as the Fourth Ward Neighborhood Action Team’s community garden and Merrill’s Community Center. This is the first year that the garden is near the community center building.

Linneman said the center aims to have events with the library and teach area kids about gardening every Monday. They are working to make the garden as accessible and aesthetically pleasing as possible.

“Community gardens can either be an asset or an eyesore and we are trying to not have it be the latter,” she said. “We are weeding the area and we want to put down a stone path to make it look nice.”

She said the goal is to have recognizable fruits and vegetables so people know what they are and how to use them. They garden is growing scallions, tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers and cilantro.

The community center works with many donated items and tries to reuse as much as possible. The garden beds are old bookcases painted black to give them a uniform look.

Linneman said the garden is a space where kids in the Fourth Ward can learn about gardening and eat the produce. They will also learn how to use the produce.

“Just creating a safe space where people feel like they can be whoever the heck they are,” she said.

She said that they have volunteers who are just looking to get their hands dirty and help out. On Tuesdays, she said she has up to 20 students who come throughout the day to help out.

Once the garden starts growing, the center plans to have more programming about the stages of plant development.

Linneman said the center hopes to have a produce stand every Monday for people to get what they need. She said leftover food during the school year will go to Wilson Elementary.

They also have a flower bed that she said will help promote pollinators and act as a habitat for bunnies and other creatures.

They have even seen a turkey in the garden, she said.

“It has really improved the neighborhood for the kids to have this garden here,” Linneman added.