The Shared Harvest Community Garden, the oldest of its kind in the Four Corners, located in the Florida River Valley north of Elmore's Corner at 3232 County Road 234, will close in the spring after 16 years.
The owner Bob Kauer, 76, was inspired by community-based agriculture after he visited a church-run garden in Santa Fe.
He returned to Durango on his 60th birthday to purchase a farm with senior water rights. He then plowed a one-acre horse pasture, installed irrigation across the farm and began to recruit members from his church and circle of friends through flyers posted around the Durango area.
"It was a very chaotic first year," Kauer said. "We didn't know what we were doing. I was overwhelmed with constant questions."
Thirty-six households signed up the first year. The garden launched before Kauer took occupancy of the historic farmhouse, which he restored the same year.
"We will greatly miss Shared Harvest and its extraordinary people," Jama Crawford, Kauer's wife, said. "It has been the center of our community life and a privilege to share this beautiful valley with others."
Kauer recruited Marye Jackson in May 2002, who was a recent graduate of the La Plata County Extension Office's Colorado Master Garden Program. Jackson was required to donate 50 hours of community service to complete her certification. However, thousands of hours and eight years later, she stepped down from the management role.
"We couldn't have done this without Marye," Kauer said.
Master gardener Faye Shrater took the reins after Jackson. And, since 2012, the garden was led by Crawford, also a master gardener, and Karen Esser, who was head of the garlic team.
The organic garden served 800 regional residents in its 16 years of operation. It was touted by agricultural researchers for its efficiency and food production. The garden practiced a rare model, among the 18,000 community gardens in the United States and Canada. Members worked cooperatively, in teams, including a tomato and winter squash team, and everyone was allowed to harvest across the entire garden.
"It would be a total miracle if someone bought the property to use it for a local food movement. It's a gardener space where the soil is organic and very healthy for food production," said Crawford. "We hope to find a grower who wants the land to keep harvesting and contributing to the local food market."
A party for former members will be held at 3 p.m. May 6, at the property to commemorate the milestones that were reached during its 16 years of operation.
For more information, visit www.communitygarden.org/find-a-garden/gardens/shared-harvest-community-garden.
fstone@durangoherald.com
