Community garden at Oakton Community College seeks volunteers

Ken Schaefer spends a lot of time outdoors on the Des Plaines campus of Oakton Community College, as the college's naturalist/groundskeeper.

But it's in his free time that he and other volunteers tend to a community garden, which produces plenty of produce - the majority of which is donated to local food pantries.

Schaefer said he and others are planning to be in the garden as early as Sunday to plant this growing season's first round of crops, including lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets and carrots. But they're also looking for other green thumbs - and even those who don't have any gardening experience - who want to help.

"We've relied on in-house people - faculty, staff and students - but people keep moving so quickly, it's hard to maintain consistency through the whole growing season," said Schaefer, who has helped manage the garden since the first vegetables were planted six years ago. "We're hoping to get more people involved throughout the community."

Garden volunteers meet from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9 to 11 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays of every month, from March through November. Tools and gloves are supplied.

The garden is located near Parking Lot C on the south side of Oakton's campus, 1600 E. Golf Road.

For more information, contact rnash@oakton.edu.