Preserving, for public benefit, land across Alaska's Kenai Peninsula with natural, recreational, or cultural values by working with willing landowners.
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Potato Project
The Potato Project was inspired by West Homer Elementary schoolteacher Lyn Maslow in the spring of 2009. Looking for a way to get kids interested in gardening and producing healthy local food, Lyn asked Kachemak Heritage Land trust if a portion of our community garden could be converted into a potato patch for that purpose, with the harvest to be donated to the Homer Food Pantry. We enthusiastically embraced the idea for our under-utilized Community Garden, and helped find volunteer partners to transform a large, overgrown portion into a suitable growing area.
Compost to enrich the soil was provided by Jim Van Oss, and Homer Saw & Cycle assisted with tilling the area. Spenard Builders Supply gave us a discount on filter fabric to keep weeds in check, and Neil and Kyra Wagner donated an assortment of seed potatoes from local sources. Some of Lyn Maslow’s grade-school students from West Homer Elementary School did the planting.
Volunteers tended the plants over the summer, and the elementary school students harvested the potatoes in early October, donating over 300 lbs to the Homer Food Pantry!
In response to this great success and well-deserved accolades, the potato-growing portion of the KHLT Community Garden was doubled the following spring. The expanded garden project was made possible in part through funding from the Homer Foundation, with most of the work from preparation to harvest again accomplished through volunteer efforts.
Lance Williamson of Bobcat Services donated a portion of his time to do the heavy tilling of the new food-growing area. Jim van Oss, and Neil and Kyra Wagner, again contributed compost and seed potatoes. Steve Dean, Nadya Klingel, and Vicki Lowe joined Lyn Maslow and her enthusiastic students from West Homer Elementary as they tilled, composted and planted potatoes and carrots.
The project was a continuing success through 2012, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the core donors and volunteers, and others who were able to join them at various times. Grants from the People’s Garden micro-grant program, administered by Homer Soil and Water Conservation District, and from The Homer Foundation Youth Advisory Committee allowed repairs and upgrades to the greenhouse and other garden amenities.
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust was honored to host the Potato Project, helping to connect kids with the soil and its bounty while also learning principles of philanthropy. “Thank you” to all of the funders, individual donors, and volunteers who made this heartwarming community project such a gratifying success!
