Children from the Banana Bunch Child Care Center's summer day camp will join veteran gardeners this summer and engage in the ancient pursuit of sowing seeds that will become part of a family's meal of fruits and vegetables.

"They're learning what it takes to start a garden, maintain it and producing what they've planted," said Mary Wadeson, owner of the care center. Twenty-five of her campers, ages 9 to 11, will be involved in gardening at the Community Garden Club near the Central States Fairgrounds for the second straight year.

Harold Goetz, 71, has been gardening at the community gardens since 1981.

"(Mary) has her young kids take care of it and work in the garden," Goetz said. "It's a lot of fun."

Goetz has been president of the Community Garden Club for the past 16 years. He has watched many of the gardeners return year after year and has welcomed newcomers when they can find a plot.

However, local gardeners wonder whether it may be time for the city to rethink its community garden. All the 101 plots are taken, and newcomers are placed on a waiting list.

"There's a garden at the Senior Center, one over at the Extension offices and us. We're it," Goetz said.

Seven families are on the waiting list. With the struggling economy pushing gardening to new heights of popularity, the wait may extend well into next year.

Lon Van Deusen, city parks manager, said his office receives daily inquiries about the community garden. For all the calls, no one has approached him about expanding the garden site or establishing a new community garden elsewhere in the city.

"I'm not sure if we would make that decision or not," he said.

Barb Garcia, city community development specialist, also has not been approached by any group or association about new gardens, but said more people are thinking about using community gardens because of the higher cost of food.

"There is a group I'm working with in North Rapid who are looking at empty lots that might work," she said.

So far, the reviewed locations have all proven to have serious obstacles for converting them into garden sites.

Ideally, she said it would be land that the city owned with a group or an association agreeing to take over the management and liability of a community garden.

"I personally think that there should be five or six community gardens all over town. … There really needs to be more community gardens for people living in apartments and mobile homes," she said.

"I would think so," Goetz added. "I've got a whole bunch of new people who have never planted a garden. I have elderly people over 80 who enjoy getting out there because it's something to do," he said.

And for children, it's an education.

"For children to understand that by planting seed in the ground and what it will produce, it's a great learning experience for any child," Wadeson said.

She said the community garden has involved not only the children but their families who have come in on Saturdays. They've helped get the soil dug up; plants planted and brought a wealth of knowledge about gardening, which their children emulate.

"I'm sure all the plots are all taken, but if more people could garden it would a good experience for everyone," Wadeson said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com

Community Garden ClubWhat: 101 gardening plots located near the Central States Fairgrounds

Cost: $20 for the first season lasting from April to November; $15 for the second year; $10 for the third year and thereafter.

Care: Watering hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; the water is part of the fee. The city provides four loads of free compost to amend the soil.

Duties: Gardeners are responsible for cultivating the soil, planting, watering, maintaining and weeding. After harvest, the plot must be cleared of all debris.

For more information: Call 721-7708