Copper Country Senior Meals prepares kitchen garden for second year of growth

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - The Copper Country Senior Meals (CCSM) program in Hancock readied its ‘Kitchen Garden’ for another year on Wednesday.

“It’s what we call a ‘lasagna garden’,” said CCSM Director Kathleen Harter. “It’s basically a layered garden that you put over a lawn or an area where you want to establish a new garden. We’re just getting the bed ready to start planting for this year.”

The program worked with the Copper Country Intermediate School District and high school students two years ago to establish the garden. Last year was its first year in full production.

The garden is used to grow a variety of crops to add to senior homebound meals in the area. These include cherry tomatoes, edible flowers, potatoes and a new addition this year, peppers. These will be planted later in the summer.

The program over-wintered the garden with mulch and bark in order to control weeds and keep the moisture inside for this year’s planting.

“We will do a little bit of planting today of garlic, which is actually late, you usually plant the garlic in the fall,” continued Harter. “But we’re going to put some in this year, and some of the early season crops like kale and lettuces, spinach, that kind of thing that can withstand a little of the colder temps.”

Despite being a smaller garden, Harter says they are able to get a lot out of it for nearly 300 seniors being served.

“Just for example, the edible flowers,” added Harter. “We were able to serve edible flowers on two different salads in the summer, so it seems like its small, but just that little burst of color and flavor is something different than what we are able usually to serve on our menus. It’s supplementing what we’re doing, it’s adding to.”

Harter also says that now is a perfect time for seniors to check out the program. To learn more, check out the program’s website by clicking here.

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