Giving Garden efforts beginning to take root

Tucked away in a vacant lot surrounded by industrial parks, a bevy of tomatoes and zucchinis are starting to ripen.

The food, and the 240-square-foot garden where it's growing, are the fruit of a collaboration.

Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Naperville and volunteers from Alcatel-Lucent formulated a plan designed to provide the pantry with a summer full of fresh food for its clients.

The project began as part of Alcatel-Lucent's International Days of Caring, a monthlong project where employees assist local residents.

Alcatel-Lucent sent out an e-mail to several groups asking for a chance to help, and when pantry staff mentioned the land was available, ideas started sprouting, said Charles McLimans, executive director of Loaves and Fishes.

"Loaves and Fishes purchased a vacant lot that needed to be cleaned up," said Bob Novotny, an Alcatel-Lucent Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. "We suggested a garden. We thought we could do it, and we did."

First they needed to clear the lot, removing a full dumpster of debris. Then they tilled the soil and got to work on the planting.

They chose 12 zucchini plants and 36 tomato plants of six different varieties, said Novotny, who works at the Naperville office.

At least one team member from Alcatel-Lucent visits the garden every other day to water and pull weeds.

"We have had a lot of support from our team members - from Waste Management, Buikema's Ace Hardware and the Lucent Foundation," said Novotny.

All harvested vegetables are donated to the pantry, one of the drop-off sites for the Daily Herald Giving Garden program, which encourages gardeners to deliver fresh produce to food pantries.

Unfortunately, the volunteers' efforts will be short lived. The pantry is moving out of its rented downtown location and building a permanent facility on High Grove Lane - right where the garden is now.

Construction is expected to start late fall or early next spring.

"We still figured that we could get a full harvest in," said Novotny.

But the garden may get new life with the new building. The pantry is discussing the possibility of a rooftop garden.

"We are in the process of selecting a contractor and architect to see what the cost would be," said McLimans.

And that garden would need volunteers, too.

"We intend to keep Alcatel-Lucent involved for as long as we can," he said.