Downtown State College Improvement District staff and volunteers planted a community vegetable garden on East Calder Way as part of the Calder WalkWay initiative. Photo by DSCID
A new community vegetable garden in downtown State College is ready to be harvested by anyone interested in some free local herbs and produce.
Located on East Calder Way next to House of Kashmir and the Pugh Street Garage, the garden includes lettuce, basil, peppers, oregano and more. It’s all free for the taking, though community members are asked to be respectful and leave some for others.
The garden is a part of the Downtown State College Improvement District’s Calder WalkWay initiative. Started this summer, the project includes a special lighting attraction, public art, occasional family movies and other community activities along Calder Way between South Pugh and South Fraser streets — a stretch that becomes a pedestrian-only mall from 6 to 11 p.m. every Thursday through Saturday.
“When we started to look at the two blocks of Calder that we really wanted to transform for the lighting attraction, we wanted to make sure that every step of the way it’s kind of a new discovery, or at least a moment where we could beautify what was already existing,” DSCID Executive Director Lee Anne Jeffries said.
The plot where the garden now is had once been landscaped, as evidenced by a tree stump that was there
“So we started thinking about ways we could utilize the space,” Jeffries said. “Initially we talked about a flower garden and then it evolved into the idea of a vegetable garden that could benefit the community and get volunteers involved to plant it and also just have that as an option for community members who might want to come down and harvest some vegetables.”
State College Borough, a major sponsor for the Calder WalkWay, provided staff to grind down the tree stump, remove weeds and add a layer of compost. DSCID staff and volunteers planted the garden, getting a boost from Patchwork Farms, which Jeffries said “gave us a great deal,” on vegetables.
“We’re excited to take a plot of weeds and turn it into something else,” Jeffries said. “Really it’s the thought of the future of this area and growing and thinking of other ways we can beautify spaces downtown. We’re going to continue to do so.”
When the idea for the garden first came up, Jeffries said she heard some concern that it wouldn’t last long and would be ripped up or quickly cleared out.
What’s happened has been quite the opposite.
“We see people stop and look at it and read the sign. If I’m down there I’ll converse with people and let them know they’re welcome to help themselves,” Jeffries said. “I think people are a little intimidated by that in that they don’t want to take what’s not theirs. So it’s very clear that it is for anyone that wants to harvest it. We’re going to get to the point in the season where it needs to go. That’s why it was built. It was built for the community to enjoy.”
Once the summer vegetables have been harvested, staff and volunteers will plant something in the fall. The plan is to bring the vegetable garden back again annually.
“We want to keep it up and find some other areas that we can touch upon downtown that we can turn into something prettier than it is now,” Jeffries said.
In addition to the garden, Calder WalkWay will host free family movie nights at dusk on Tuesday (“Bedtime Stories”) and Aug. 10 (“The Secret Life of Pets”) in the parking lot behind PNC Bank between South Pugh and South Allen streets. Murals newly created by community artists can be found along Calder Way.
Though the road closure portion of the project will end later in the fall until returning next year, the lighting attraction will remain in place.
“The lights will stay there and they will stay lit at least on the weekends,” Jeffries said. “We’re excited to do some things with them during football games and … Over the holidays we’ll certainly be moving in to more of a holiday lighting attraction and tie that into what we’ve done on Fraser Street over the holidays last year. So it will be one big holiday light show throughout town.”
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July 29, 2021 at 03:47AM
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Community Vegetable Garden Opens in Downtown State College - State College News
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