WINDHAM – Thanks to the efforts of many, not to mention Mother Nature, the Windham Community Garden on Route 202 has had a banner harvest in only its second year of operation.

In total, 45 community gardeners have raised plump and juicy veggies in 62 different 10-foot-square beds spread across a 1-acre lot of publicly owned property near the intersection of Swett Road.

A brief walk through the colorful beds reveals a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables, everything from corn to cucumbers, watercrest to watermelon. Anything that could be grown, even giant sunflowers with their floppy tops, seems to have flourished in this year’s ideal growing conditions.

While the community gardeners are happy with the haul this year, so too are people who never step foot in the garden. Located farthest away from the main entrance – tucked out of sight but not out of mind – is one of the highlights of this year’s garden, both in terms of raw yield and community benefit. A large area devoted to growing vegetables for the Windham Food Pantry has done exceedingly well, organizers say, which means those who get their food from the pantry will be eating even better this fall.

The community garden is spread across an acre of land, but nearly a quarter of it is unusable due to a large section of ledge situated near the middle of the plot. On the backside of the ledge from the main entrance is the food pantry’s section, which comprises about an eighth of the total acreage.

The food pantry’s portion of the garden is planted, weeded, watered and harvested by the 10 members of the Windham Community Garden Committee. The community gardeners are also required, as per the rules of membership, to work six hours per year helping in the food pantry’s plot. Much of that occurs during work days when committee members and gardeners will flood the food pantry plot to attack the weeds and bugs that aim to destroy the crop.

All of their hard work has paid off, garden overseers say, with a massive harvest taking place. So far this season, which is nearly complete with a frost expected soon, the food pantry portion of the garden has produced more than 1,500 pounds of vegetables, an amazing feat committee members say was only made possible by a community effort.

“We’re very proud. The community and organizations have been extremely helpful and generous,” said the committee’s co-president, Marge Govoni. “The sign out front was donated. Hancock Lumber donated material and labor to build the shed. Blue Seal Feed gave us a huge discount on deer fencing. Water Systems on Route 302 donated the initial water line [from the public safety building]. The town has also been extremely kind to the garden, because we get our water from them. Doug Fortier at public works brings wood chips. The town has been mowing outside of the fence area. So, none of this would have happened without the community’s efforts.”

After consulting Windham Food Pantry manager Madeline Roberts on what vegetables pantry clients wanted, garden committee member Donna Walter designed the plot to include sugar snap peas, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, many different kinds of tomatoes, green beans, yellow beans and butternut squash. Her husband, Rick Walter, estimates he’s picked 2,500 green beans from the food pantry plot.

“It’s wonderful,” said Roberts. “We were able through the generous donation of the Windham Community Garden to provide fresh vegetables to 179 families in the month of August and to 129 families to date in September. All the vegetables grown made a significant difference in fresh food provided to clients this summer.”

While most vegetables have been harvested, some of the bounty remains on the vine, which could raise the harvest yield by several hundred more pounds.

“Last year, we donated just under a thousand pounds to the food pantry. This year we’re well over that and we still have all this squash and tomatoes,” Priscilla Payne, committee secretary, said during a tour of the garden last week.

And the nearly ton of produce clients are getting is even better than store-bought. Payne said the committee wants food pantry users to get fresh, local food free from the chemicals usually found on vegetables bought in a store.

“We’re trying to create a healthy, safe and secure food system for the people who use the food pantry, and for community members who garden here, because it’s all done organically,” Payne said.

The lack of pesticides and herbicides is part of the reason the food pantry plot needs so much weeding and checking for pests. Its location away from most of the community plots, however, will change next year, organizers say.

“Next year, we’re going to distribute the food pantry beds within where the gardeners are because it’ll allow easier access and more involvement from the gardeners,” Govoni said. “It’s segregated now, and it’ll be integrated, with many more beds, and will just be easier for everyone to keep an eye on the food pantry’s section.”

“It’s a work in progress,” Payne added.

Windham Community Garden Committee members, from left, Rick Walter, Donna Walter, Priscilla Payne and Marge Govoni, stand in front of a bed of squash that will be donated to the Windham Food Pantry. So far, more than 1,500 pounds of produce from the community garden has been donated to the food pantry. Staff photo by John Balentine