Lake in the Hills children's garden provides produce for needy

From pumpkins to pineapples, a new children's garden in Lake in the Hills is providing needy families fresh, organic produce they otherwise could not afford.

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry's new children's garden, planted over the summer, now is open. It is on about a half acre next to an adult garden at the pantry, 1113 Pyott Road.

A tunnel with vines growing above it greets visitors at the entrance. The garden features six raised beds with a variety of flowers to attract bees, six large raised vegetable beds, a small greenhouse, pumpkin patch, pizza toppings garden, potato garden, and a 12-foot-tall tepee-style planter. Each garden bed is about 3 feet by 20 feet long and incorporates worm and regular composting. No chemicals are used.

"We have already harvested over 150 pounds of vegetables just from the children's garden alone," said Laurie Selpien of Lake in the Hills, a food pantry volunteer.

Pantry patrons can peruse from a spread of fruits and vegetables - including peas, a variety of zucchini and squashes, okra, beans, Mexican cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, watermelons, blueberries and strawberries - at a weekly farmers market where volunteers talk to them about the vegetables and share recipes for how to cook them.

"They can take as much as they want," Selpien said. The idea is introducing low-income families to vegetables they have never had in their lives and changing the way they eat.

The pantry's gardens feed 300 local families. Last year, more than 5,000 pounds of food were distributed.

The children's garden also serves an educational purpose for the nearly 450 children registered in the Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department's preschool, after-school, summer school and camp programs, as well as senior citizens and participants from the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association.

Throughout the year, groups of children from local schools, Scouting troops, and day cares can volunteer or tour the garden. Parks department staff members have developed a curriculum and work with volunteer gardeners to educate visitors. Children would learn how to grow vegetables and plants organically and make healthy eating choices to reduce childhood obesity.

"We are doing this as a combined effort to teach children about the environment, healthy eating and serving the community," said Laura Barron, Lake in the Hills parks and recreation director.

The parks department raised nearly $4,000 through in-kind and monetary donations from individuals and businesses to create the garden.

Lowe's Home Improvement store in Lake in the Hills donated the materials and labor to build the garden. Contributors include Centegra Health System, Butcher on the Block, Tom's Farm Market, Duke's Ale House, and Midwest Organics.

"The community really responded," Barron said. "Next year, we'd like to continue to expand the garden."

Officials hope to add more raised planting beds closer to the pantry building. Donations toward the garden are accepted through the village's People for Parks Foundation and can be mailed to 600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156 or dropped off at village hall during regular business hours.

Volunteers also are being sought to help with the garden between 8 a.m. and noon Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information on the pantry, visit alith-foodpantry.org.