Batavia community gardeners ready to start second season

The Batavia community garden officially opens for a second season Saturday.

Nice weather last week prompted some of the volunteers to get an early start cleaning the beds, picking up trash and raking mulch around.

The garden, at First and Water streets, is named the “Come Grow With Us” garden. It raises produce to donate to the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry.

Organizers also use it to teach about organic and sustainable gardening practices. Besides the community plot, they plan to offer individual plots to gardeners.

The garden is on land owned by Batavia Enterprises, next to Chase Bank.

Saturday’s work day is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will prepare the beds, and may end up doing some planting. Helpers are asked to wear work gloves and bring a pitchfork, a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

Water will be provided for free and Inglenook Pantry will sell lunch.

Besides working, volunteers will be able to exchange seeds, and are asked to provide recipes for vegetable and herb dishes. And there will be displays on raising chickens in backyards, beneficial insects and worm composting.