Helena Food Share Gardens
Located next door to the Lewis Street Pantry, the garden grows fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to customers in the Pantry. It consists of 2 sections — a set of outdoor raised beds, and a high tunnel. The 28 outdoor raised beds are watered using wicking tube irrigation. This drought-friendly system delivers water to the plants at root level which conserves water by minimizing surface evaporation. Our high tunnel was provided through a grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Lewis and Clark Conservation District. The high tunnel provides enclosed garden space for four long garden beds and allows us to extend our growing season to early spring and late fall. Our garden is grown using natural and sustainable practices and provides the pantry with a regular supply of fresh produce. In 2021 our garden produced over 1,000lbs of food!
Helena Food Share Farm Stand
The Farm Stand is open on Thursdays from 12:30-6:00 during the growing season (usually July — September) with a wide variety of fresh produce. Most Farm Stand items are from the Helena Food Share garden and other local community and home gardens. It is located at 1616 Lewis St. between the Pantry and Garden. Customers can stop by any time it’s open and pick up what they need.
Highlights:
Our Garden
Both a food source for the Pantry and
an education feature for the community
High Tunnel
Students & volunteers plant early and tend
young plants throughout the season
Farm Stand
Pick up fresh, local produce each
Thursday, July-September
Fruits & Vegetables
Distributed in the Helena Food Share
Pantry – these goodies can’t get any fresher!
30,000-40,000 lbs Produce
Critical nutrition is donated to Helena Food
Share from area gardens each year
Volunteers
Folks from local businesses and organizations
help tend and harvest the gardens each season
What’s grown in the Helena Food Share Garden?
In the 2021 season, over 1,000 lbs. of fresh produce was harvested from the Helena Food Share garden, including:
Fruit
Elderberries, Grapes, Haskaps, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tomatillos and Tomatoes
Herbs
Arugula, Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Spinach and Thyme
Vegetables
Beans, Beets, Carrots, Chard, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Okra, Onions, Peas, Peppers (banana, bell, cayenne, jalapeño & wax), Potatoes, Radishes, Rhubarb, Summer Squash and Winter Squash
Gardens from around the community: How you can help
Our friends at Helena Community Gardens, including the 6th Ward Garden and the Jubilee Garden at St. Mary Catholic Community, regularly donate fresh produce throughout the season for customers and lend their expertise and time to keep the Helena Food Share Garden growing. Thank you!
Growers throughout the valley contribute produce as well. We invite anyone to “Grow-A-Row” in your garden. Your green thumb can provide healthy, locally grown food for area families. For information about growing a row or volunteering in our garden, email Garden Coordinator Mandy Blohm at MandyB@helenafoodshare.org.