STEVENSVILLE, mont. — Lone Rock eighth-grader Matthew Dodson-Smith knows the value of farm-fresh food.
“My family has always been into everything healthy,” he said. “I really like to garden.”
And so when the 13-year-old Boy Scout set his sights on that pinnacle of Scouting tradition — the ranking of Eagle Scout — he decided that a project tied to gardening and healthy living would fit him perfectly.
When he heard the Stevensville Community Garden was moving its operation from school property to a long-established garden plot behind St. Mary’s Mission Church this spring, the Scout decided he’d found a match made in heaven.
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Dodson-Smith met his grandfather, Ron Smith, at the community garden plot located just west of the Stevensville church to make some final preparations for a delivery of concrete.
“It’s turned into something a little bigger than I first thought it would be,” he said.
Dodson-Smith wants to create a place where people confined to wheelchairs or impacted by other disabilities will be able to be outside and get their hands dirty.
The concrete will form a nice stable pad where they will be able maneuver their chairs without much difficulty. When he’s done, there will be sets of planters and gardening tables where folks can harvest fresh vegetables all summer long.
“I hope that someday people will come here and garden and make some good fresh food for themselves,” he said. “As a Scout, I know that to keep my body in shape, I have to eat healthy. I want to help others do that too.”
Stevensville Community Garden director Colleen Miller said the Scout’s project is a perfect beginning for the garden’s new start.
“This space that we’ve been granted is a huge step forward from where we were before,” Miller said.
The community garden was initially located on a plot of Stevensville School District property on the eastern edge of town. That first spot had its share of challenges. The ground was rocky and the water situation was difficult. It was only about a fifth the size of the present location.
The new garden spot has a long history of providing fresh vegetables and fruit to Stevensville residents. It was used for many years by the parishioners of the church. As those folks aged, they quit gardening.
“The church has been incredibly welcoming to us,” Miller said. “We are so appreciative of everything they’ve done.”
As word has started to spread, Miller said interest in the new community garden is growing.
Already people from the local library are planning on bringing youngsters to the garden this summer. An herbalist wants to start a herb garden at the site. Some others have plans for a pizza garden.
“We have a whole bunch of different people coming to us with different ideas,” Miller said. “Father Huber wants us to grow grapes. He wants to see if we can make wine from them. … We’re pooling a lot of talent here.”
The new garden spot is fenced to keep wandering deer at bay. And, most encouraging of all, there’s an unlimited supply of water.
Miller thinks there is room enough for at least 50 beds, which is quite an increase from the nine available at the previous location.
The community garden allows people to use a 20-by-20-foot space for $20.
Over at the worksite, Dodson-Smith’s grandfather was down on hands and knees, as he carefully smoothed the ground in preparation for the concrete to come.
With her arms wrapped around a well-worn teddy bear, Dodson-Smith’s sister, Mikayla, kept a close eye on the work.
“I think this will give me a sense of accomplishment and I’ll learn some leadership and organizational skills too,” said the Scout. “I think it will show that I can take on a project of this size and get it done to meet deadlines.”
He’s shooting to have all the work accomplished before his eighth-grade class graduates in June. To make that happen, he’ll need a few more donations of materials and cash.
Smith picked up a shovel and began to scoop up a pile of gravel.
“For now, we’re just trying to make it look pretty,” he said, with a smile.
