FORT FAIRFIELD — More than 100 gathered in Fort Fairfield recently to celebrate the first planting of a community garden and to get a first look at plans for a memorial/healing garden to honor healthcare providers and area residents who benefitted from their services.
Through a town-wide collaboration, the spot where two sections of the former Community General Hospital once stood, and an adjacent piece of land owned by The Aroostook Medical Center, are undergoing a transformation. One parcel of land is set aside for community members to gather, reflect and enjoy nature; and another a spot where they can work the soil and grow healthy produce for themselves, their families and others.
The unveiling of the conceptual design for a Fort Fairfield Memorial Garden, and a first-time planting celebration for the new Fort Fairfield Community Garden, took place during the Maine Potato Blossom Festival. Popular children’s entertainer Rick Charrette entertained the crowd. During the performance, and following the design unveiling, community members of all ages planted seedlings in the new community garden. Area residents are able to reserve a plot for themselves in the garden as space allows.
“For those of us who hold Fort Fairfield near and dear to our hearts, this Community Garden and the Memory/Healing Garden are ways to express the continuation of the ‘Passion for Community’ in Fort Fairfield. What better way to nurture life than in a garden – where folks can take time to reflect upon the gifts we continually receive from our community? Life is truly one transition after another,” said Rayle Reed Ainsworth, co-chair of the project committee.
The project was created through a partnership between TAMC and the Town of Fort Fairfield. A citizen’s advisory committee, known as the Community General Hospital Legacy Committee, has been working with hospital and town officials since last September, partnering with the local Future Farmers of America chapter, under the direction of advisor Jeannie Fox, to manage the project and oversee the garden.
Fox and her students were on hand at the event to lead and assist community members, including children, in planting seedlings and vegetables that will grow in what remains of the current County growing season. They also spoke with interested community members about “adopting a plot” for the current season or next.
Plots, approximately one hundred square feet each, are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Member gardeners will tend to their own plots and assist in maintaining the garden fence, paths and common areas. As part of the community garden’s mission to help alleviate hunger in the community, a “common good” plot has been designated to grow produce for Catholic Charities Maine and Families Feeding Families. Members will be asked to donate time each month to plant, tend or harvest vegetables for the charities.
In the future, the intent is that operating costs will come from plot holder fees ($25 for Fort Fairfield residents, $30 for non-residents) donations, grants, and fundraising events, as well as limited administrative support and coordination from TAMC and the town. For municipal officials, the community garden project is seen as a great extension of other community-wide efforts to improve the quality of life of area residents.
“The community garden project provides a place to grow vegetables for those town residents who do not have space where they live, as well as an opportunity to share the love of gardening with fellow residents. The garden will support a healthy lifestyle of those who participate, both by the produce from the garden and the outdoor activity the garden will provide. The Town appreciates the generous support of TAMC in helping our residents live a healthier lifestyle,” said Town Manager Jim Risner.
The memorial garden will be installed near the original 1950 section of the former Community General Hospital, and will officially open in 2016. It is meant to pay tribute to the legacy of the former facility and its staff, volunteers, donors and patients through the years. It will be a space for quiet reflection and a venue for community performances and gatherings in the future.
Plans for this space include the opportunity for community members and individuals to pay tribute to loved ones and those who have helped advance the town or health care in the region through the purchase of items such as park benches, trees and shrubs, and even a pavilion-style gazebo that is part of the design.
“Purchasing a granite bench, tree, or shrub is a wonderful way for area residents to create a lasting memory for one’s family members or to honor staff that has worked at Community General Hospital,” said James McKenney, TAMC vice president of support services and co-chair of the Community General Hospital Legacy Committee.
Individuals, area businesses and organizations interested in supporting the Memorial Garden are encouraged to contact the TAMC Foundation at (207) 768-4350 to learn more about available opportunities. Plans are also being made for a permanent exhibit of photographs and artifacts that depict the history of healthcare in the community. The museum space will include several items saved over the years by the Fort Fairfield Frontier Heritage Historical Society, which could not previously be displayed due to space constraints.
