Adult Residential Center garden provides produce, skills and donations to local nonprofit partners

Staff and residents at Johnson County's Adult Residential Center described a multi-plot community garden and orchard that the ARC has maintained since 2010.

Tom Tiszver, ARC shift supervisor, and Angela Paz described a program that began with an 80-by-20 ground plot and expanded to include raised beds and fruit trees. The ARC partnered with K-State Extension and the Giving Grove (a local orchard-planting nonprofit) to design the plantings and supply trees. Recent plantings include Asian pear trees; staff said they plan to harvest and donate produce to local nonprofit partners such as the Multi-Service Center in Gardner and Safe Home.

Tiszver said the gardening program is voluntary for residents but provides measurable benefits in engagement and daily routine. The program also supplies perishables to community partners and helps teach basic life skills to residents.

Commissioners and staff discussed opportunities to expand raised beds to reduce maintenance and to coordinate donations to aging and senior services where demand for perishables is high. ARC staff said they welcome coordination with county aging services and other partners.