The Meridian Co-op Gardeners offer a different take on the community garden. Their workspace is a large property on the east side of Kleiner Park and here they grow enough produce to feed their own families (30 families are represented) as well as give away more than 4 tons of produce to local food banks.

What’s different about these gardeners? They all work together on the whole property, it is not segmented into “my plot” or “your plot” and by doing that they have created a community, a large family of gardeners who work together, play together, eat together.

All levels of gardening knowledge are represented in the group. There are young children who learn how vegetables grow, and how great food tastes fresh from the garden. Those new to gardening get to work alongside the experienced ones and learn garden techniques for successful harvests.

The enthusiasm of the younger gardeners motivates them all. What could be an insurmountable task becomes a fun group project. And the result is an abundance of food, flowers and friendship shared with each other and the community of Meridian.

Every gardener wants to know what varieties have been successful in other's gardens. Here are the favorites from Juli, President of the Meridian Co-op Gardeners.

Tomatoes: Sungold and Legend

Kale: Redbor and dwarf blue curled Scotch

Onions: Walla walla

Zucchini: Goldmine

Winter Squash: Delicata and Waltham butternut

Cabbage: Flat Dutch

Cucumbers: Lemon and Armenian and Sweet Slice

Eggplant: Listada de Gandia and Pink Tung