HOLTS SUMMIT - Holts Summit's community garden is transitioning to a rent-a-plot system.
The garden began when the city partnered with the Master Gardeners Club and the Missouri Foundation for Health's Capital Region "Healthy Schools Healthy Communities" grant program, which focused on fighting childhood obesity.
The goal was to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to the community, with classes to teach about gardening. Originally, the concept was anyone from the community could come in and work in the garden.
Grant funds were used to buy equipment, seeds, fruit trees and picnic tables and to install a water line.
The change from an open community garden to a rent-a-plot system is a part of an effort to ensure the survival and sustainability of the garden.
Ashley Varner, who has been responsible for coordinating the grant, recently moved on to a new job. Before she left, she wanted to ensure the project could still benefit the community.
"I'll be cheering from the sidelines," she said.
The grant program is coming to an end this year.
"We were figuring out what we were going to do for the upcoming growing season," Holts Summit city administrator Hanna Lechner said.
Since the garden began, Varner and master gardeners John and Shirley Oehring have hosted events ranging from classes on pollination and bees to pumpkin painting. Those classes will continue in the future.
Produce from the garden was donated to the Holts Summit Soup Kitchen, the Prenger Family Center and Callaway Hills Elementary School.
"I definitely feel like it's been a success," Varner said.
But Lechner and Varner said they haven't seen as much participation in the garden as they had hoped.
"People are more used to that idea of a rent-a-plot. It's a much older idea to have a community garden," Varner said.
Now, a 25-by-25 lot will cost $25 to rent, while a 25-by-50 lot will cost $45. More information is available at bit.ly/39KPxRg.
"We're hoping that by trying to bring rent-a-plot, more people will be interested and the garden could even get bigger in the future," Lechner said.