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Rifle community garden returns to its roots

Alex Zorn
  

Yampah Mountain High School student Carlos Smith waters the freshly planted gardens at the Bookcliffs Art Center.
Chelsea Self / Post Independent |

Years ago, before the state was filled with supermarkets, the Bill Morrow Farm in Rifle supplied food and vegetables to families across the valley. Now over half a century later, Rifle Bookcliffs Art Center President George Cutting looks to once again use the land to feed families and reestablish the gardens in the community.

“It’s so exciting to get the community involved in healthy living. You can’t use a cell phone for something like this,” he said.

On Wednesday volunteers with the Trio Upward Bound (TUB) program and Growing Empowerment headed to the Bookcliffs community gardens, once home to the Bill Morrow Farm, where they planted seeds that will eventually grow into food to donate.



“You get to help people that don’t have much,” said TUB volunteer and Rifle High School senior Melissa Lopez. “It’s a really good feeling.”

It took several hours for the volunteers to plant a variety of potatoes, onions, tomatoes and chili peppers, all of which will be donated to Rifle LIFT-UP.



“I know what it feels like to be helped, and now to come out and help others is great,” said volunteer Madison Glidewell.

The volunteers planted five “10×20” beds on Friday that will now sit adjacent to the art center and will neighbor the other 27 beds in the community garden.

Cutting welcomes anyone to purchase any of the remaining 10 available beds for next summer. Beds cost $25 for the whole growing season.

“Your garden is all yours, but you can donate however much you want,” he explained. “I just think it’s wonderful to get a new generation involved in growing their own food. I’m taking to heart how I can make the planet better.”


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