An un-beet-able community garden sprouts in Marion
Brooke Johnson of Marion pulls fresh carrots from the soil at the Marion community vegetable garden. Photos by Grace Ann Natanawan
Edible flowers and herbs grow at the community garden.
Plentiful kale grows in an allotment at the garden.
A new greenhouse stands on the property.
(left to right) Brooke Johnson, Barbie Burr and Mike Healey stand in front of the garden beds.
Brooke Johnson holds a bundle of carrots she pulled from the soil.
Tomatoes grow from vines.
Fresh amaranth grows in a vegetable bed.
Barbie Burr grasps the soil in a vegetable bed.
Brooke Johnson of Marion pulls fresh carrots from the soil at the Marion community vegetable garden. Photos by Grace Ann Natanawan
Edible flowers and herbs grow at the community garden.
Plentiful kale grows in an allotment at the garden.
A new greenhouse stands on the property.
(left to right) Brooke Johnson, Barbie Burr and Mike Healey stand in front of the garden beds.
Brooke Johnson holds a bundle of carrots she pulled from the soil.
Tomatoes grow from vines.
Fresh amaranth grows in a vegetable bed.
Barbie Burr grasps the soil in a vegetable bed.
MARION — In an unsuspecting corner of Marion where produce was never meant to grow, fresh vegetables now sprout across a half-acre of land and 10 garden beds — each cared for by Marion residents.
The half-acre of land is nestled behind the Marion Council on Aging, located at 465 Mill Street. With solid rocks buried as deep as six feet beneath the soil, the ground was inhospitable to new plant growth.
Starting in 2024, Marion residents Barbie Burr, Brooke Johnson and Mike Healy alongside other community members embarked on a project to plant 10 raised vegetable beds on the property to encourage people to grow their own produce. With raised beds, the group sidestepped the obstacle of the buried rocks.
“We want to encourage people to actually grow their own food some way or another – however they want to do it,” said Johnson.
Each allotment is 10 ft. by 12 ft., and residents have the power to choose which produce they’d like to grow in their respective allotment. The group is trying to create an experience that’s accessible to beginners and gardening veterans alike.
“We call it a ‘set it and forget it garden’ because if you establish it, things will just grow on their own,” said Burr.
The community garden also provides participants with the necessary tools to begin their gardening journey — free of charge. A private donor currently contributes money to keep the project running in its current, beginning state
“Because this program is still on training wheels, it’s funded by a donor,” explained Burr.
Each allotment grows thick with a variety of produce, including carrots, tomatoes, beets, basil, kale, edible flowers, peppers, brussel sprouts and more.
“Cultivating fertility” is a top priority in the community garden.
“Gardening is cultivating fertility and creating an environment where plants can succeed,” said Burr.
She explained that many gardeners who are just starting out often get discouraged when faced with failure.
“There’s so much failure in gardening. People try it, they spend a lot of money, they do a lot of work and it all goes bad,” said Burr. “So on this project, what we want to do is support whatever people want so they can try it – like training wheels.”
Planting for the 2025 season began in March. The group purchased high-quality compost from Sunnynook Farms in Rochester to help fertilize the soil.
“The best thing about it is it’s hosting a community of beneficial insects, and those insects are going to out compete the predator insects … [and] are going to fertilize the crops,” said Burr.
Healey emphasized the significant growth he’s observed since the planting process began in spring,
“It literally just started with empty boxes in the spring, so it’s cool to see it progress,” he said.
New to the property this year is a green house, where the gardeners will start their seeds and tend to their growth in a controlled environment.
Burr, Johnson and Healey each emphasized the importance of helping the community gain access to fresh, organic vegetables and reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated with larger produce corporations trucking their products across the globe.
“It’s important to know where your food is coming from, especially if it can come from your backyard or the same town you live in,” said Johnson.
“This is our goal: if everybody in Marion just grows a little [produce], they'll be happier and healthier and wealthier,” adds Burr.
With a restaurant-quality kitchen located at the COA, the group hopes to cook soup and other foods for the seniors once they harvest enough produce in the future.
“People say, ‘first year sleeps, second year creeps, third year leaps,’ so we’ve crept ahead and we’re pretty happy with that,” said Burr of their second year of progress.
With two allotments open, interested residents can email communityveg@marionma.gov to begin their gardening journey or to assist with side projects such as tending to the pollinator garden or fish pond.
Community members are also encouraged to enjoy the garden in the various public seating areas located on the property.
