The Salvation Army's Community Garden & The Carl Sandburg Community Garden
By - Emma Rauschert, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist
The Salvation Army's Community Garden
This year, the Salvation Army is starting its own gardens at the Salvation Army 360 Life Center at 510 N. Kellog St. The Galesburg Boy Scouts Troop constructed five large wooden garden beds in the fall of 2024. This past spring, University of Illinois Horticulture Educator Chris Enroth came to the garden and demonstrated how to grow produce in raised beds. They planted strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, spinach, carrots, radishes, turnips, and lettuce. The Garden Station of Galesburg donated the plants, and Hope Initiative donated the seeds. The goal of the garden beds is to produce sustainable food and educate the community on how to grow food. All of the produce will be donated back to the community.
The gardening doesn't stop there. The Salvation Army is starting a community garden at the Calvary Church located at 432 N. Linwood Rd. The Calvary Church donated 14 acres to the Salvation Army to use as a community garden. The garden started in the spring of this year with 12 tilled plots. Seeds and seedlings were donated. The Calvary Church tilled plots. Rhonda Brady and Libby Boydstun donated seedlings. The Road to Freedom has three plots: Calvary Church has six plots, Mom's & Me from Graceway Group has a plot, an individual has a plot, and a community plot for all garden members to share. Nikki Hudson, a case manager at the Salvation Army, is the leader of the gardens.
Individuals or groups may apply for a 16 x 16-foot plot to grow produce. Plots are free, but the Salvation Army will take donations for improvements within the community garden, such as a tool shed. Plot owners are responsible for maintaining their plots, watering, and weeding. If anyone needs seeds, gardening advice, or tools, the Salvation Army will supply them. Nikki views using the garden as a common space where people can gather. There was a community planting day on May 2nd, where 25 people came out, many who had never met before. Nikki mentioned, "At the end of the day, everyone knew each other. It was fun."
She said, "It's a really great way to connect people and come together. It enriches people's lives through community and development. They are able to meet new people outside of their circle." Nikki has a future for the community garden. She envisions a big sign by the interstate and a tool shed. Interested in your own garden plot? Contact the Salvation Army's main office at 309-342-9168 and ask for Nikki.
The Carl Sandburg Community Garden
The Carl Sandburg Community Garden, located near Building "A" on the campus at 2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd in Galesburg, IL, is in full swing this year. The garden was started in 2011 by Mary Robinson, a retired Carl Sandburg professor. The University of Illinois Extension adopted the garden in 2015 as a Master Gardener project. With a background as a health and physical education professor, Mary Robinson understood the importance of access to fresh produce in the community. Since the beginning, produce grown at the community garden has been donated to local food assistance programs in Galesburg. This year, the produce from the garden is donated directly to the FISH Food Pantry and the Salvation Army Food Pantry. The garden is maintained by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners.
The garden is currently growing various herbs, lettuces, spinach, kale, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sunflowers, milkweed, cosmos, zinnias, raspberries, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, marigolds, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash. In the beginning, there were a lot of hurdles to getting the garden started. But over the years, with support from University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, Carl Sandburg College, and local community grants, the garden has yielded multiple tons of food. In 2024, the garden produced 3,188 pounds of food donated to local food pantries.
The garden intends to give local families experiencing food insecurity access to fresh produce. Master Gardeners also use the garden to demonstrate gardening practices and host educational sessions throughout the growing season to teach others how to grow. Interested in getting more involved with this community garden? The garden will be hosting hands-on learning workshops this summer. A garden maintenance workshop to demonstrate how to handle weeds and pests will be held on Thursday, July 10th, from 3-5 p.m. at the garden location. Another workshop to help with harvest will be on Thursday, August 14th, from 9:00- 11:00 a.m. Follow their Facebook page- Carl Sandburg Community Garden for more updates.