Plant Exchange Blog

In late August in the Yankton Community Gardens the past six years, you’d expect to find gardeners and lots of produce.

In fact, there’s a diversity of vegetables and fruits here: Tomatoes, potatoes, string beans, broccoli, onions, cucumber, cabbage, watermelon, eggplant, dill, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, beets, and flowers. Really, what more could a gardener want?

An unexpected weather event on June 21^stwas a challenge to the gardeners, to the Healthy Yankton board that oversees the gardens and to the city of Yankton. Heavy rain enlarged Marne Creek and it overflowed its banks into the flood plain on which the gardens are located.

Although the flood waters subsided quickly, the question of contamination of growing produce remained. Professional advice was sought and provided to the gardeners, which left the ultimate decision of whether to destroy the growing produce, destroy the plants and quit the gardens or continue, was in the hands of the gardeners. Two months later, three of the gardeners that continued, shared their growing experience this season. The article first appeared in the Yankton Press & Dakotan newspaper and can be found at this link:

https://www.yankton.net/river_city/article_97585d92-de52-11e8-bddc-3f1f19791b76.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

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