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Spring class series includes classes on roses, tomatoes, and mushrooms in the garden

May 2, 2022

Spring 2022 Growing with GROW! classes will be held on Thursdays from 2-5pm starting May 12. Topics include planting for pollinators, growing tomatoes in North Idaho, growing roses in North Idaho, and growing beneficial, edible mushrooms in your garden. All classes will be held at the Kootenai River Inn and Casino’s Ktunaxa Room in Bonners Ferry. Classes are $10 per person for current GROW! members, $20 per class for nonmembers, or as noted, payable at the door. All proceeds support the GROW! Community Garden. A detailed schedule is available here.

Idaho Gives campaign for Idaho Nonprofits

May 1, 2022

Support your local nonprofits in Idaho with this annual campaign to promote good causes in your community! We are so grateful to our generous supporters in Boundary County who make all our activities possible! This year, we were able to plant 40 fruit trees in the community garden. Please consider a donation to help us complete this project! You can donate or read more about our activities here.

Community Orchard Planting Day!

March 29, 2022
Art Church’s Copeland orchard in bloom

Please join us on Wednesday, March 30, at 10am as we plant our Boundary County Community Orchard! We will be planting 40 bare-root trees on the west side of the Boundary County Community Garden.

These trees include an interesting selection of new and old varieties that thrive in Boundary County, from old favorite peaches, pears and plums to jujube, nectarines, plouts and pluerries (plum-cherry cross). They will be densely planted, irrigated with a drip system, and mulched. The mulch will be inoculated with edible King Straphoria mushroom spores.

This community orchard will serve many purposes, from demonstration and teaching to supplying the community with high quality fresh fruit. We really appreciate the support of the community, both individuals and businesses, for this exciting new project. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kate Painter, 509-432-5755, Gray Henderson, 520-561-0643, or Art Church, 208-217-3492.

Gardening with GROW! Winter Class Series

December 30, 2021
Boundary County orchard, Copeland

GROW! is offering a series of gardening classes this winter, with a focus on orchard production, including planning, variety selection, pruning, pollinators, and grafting! We have limited space available for each class, so sign up early! Registration opens on Jan. 1, via Eventbrite, here.

Classroom sessions will be held at the Kootenai River Inn Ktunaxa Room on Wednesday evenings from 6-8:30 pm. Hands-on sessions will be held at the Paradise Valley Grange Hall and at the GROW! Community Garden. Most courses are $20 per person. GROW! members receive a 50% discount on course fees upon payment of 2022 dues here. Limited scholarships are available.

Giving Tuesday — Tuesday following Black Friday — Supports Local Nonprofits

November 12, 2021

This year’s campaign will help support a 40-tree demonstration and teaching orchard project as described in the flyer above. Come see us at our booth at Super 1 on Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 9am to 6pm! You can donate via check, cash or electronically, through the Paypal Giving Fund, which charges no fees on donations, here:

Garden “Open House” on Wed., August 4, from 10am to noon

July 20, 2021
Perennial herb gardens at the GROW Community Garden are a Little Free Garden, so you can help yourself to some fresh herbs!

Please join us on Wednesday, August 4, from 10am to noon, to view our demonstration gardens, including hoophouses, tall raised bed rentals, easy automatic watering systems, cover crops for your garden, and an easy no-turn composting system. We will be offering free refreshments and herb bundles to take home! The GROW Community Garden is on the grounds of Trinity Lutheran Church, at 6634 Buchanan St., Bonners Ferry, ID. For more information, contact Kate Painter at the UI Extension Office, 208-267-3235.

Garden plots and raised beds available to rent!

March 17, 2021

At the GROW! Community Garden we have both raised beds and ground level plots for rent. These are tilled and fertilized with aged manure. We have limited numbers of tall raised beds for $25 and $35 per year, depending on their size. In-ground plots range from 4’ X 20’, which rents for $20 ($0.25 per square foot) to 10’ X 20’, which rents for $50. The low-cost rental price also includes water. Contact Gray Henderson, GROW President, at (520) 561-0643 for more information.

Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, March 2, 7pm, via Zoom

March 1, 2021

Join us for our 2021 GROW Membership Meeting on Tuesday, March 2, 7pm, via Zoom! All participants will receive a raffle prize, ranging from copies of Jerry Pavia’s Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Book, GROW t-shirts and aprons, locally saved and adapted seed varieties, and other garden items! Board members will show slides of the Little Free Garden project around town, past Farm to Table dinners, and other community garden highlights. Learn how to reserve an organically fertilized, tilled garden plot for you or your community group. We still have some tall raised beds available for 2021. Scan the QR code above to register in advance. You will receive a unique link to our Zoom party!

GROW! seeks interested community members for board and officer positions

January 26, 2020
2019 Farm to Table dinner at BeeHaven Flower Farm

“An enchanted evening!” is how one woman described last year’s annual Farm to Table Fundraiser. Join us for a presentation on our 2019 achievements, followed by election of officers and board members. GROW’s annual membership meeting takes place Monday, January 27, at 5pm at the UI Extension Office. Refreshments will be served.

There are many ways to support your community garden organization. You can volunteer to be on a committee, such as the annual Farm to Table fundraiser, the Little Free Garden committee, or the community garden committee. You can serve as an officer or a board member. You can help build more raised beds or coordinate volunteer activities. All are welcome! Our regular meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 6pm at the Bonners Ferry Visitors Center. Please contact Kate Painter at the UI Extension Office for more information: kpainter@uidaho.edu or (208) 267-3235.

Holiday greetings from GROW!

December 14, 2019

Dear GROW! Supporters,
I want to thank you for helping us provide over a ton (over 2700 lb) of fresh organic produce to the 500 families who use our local food bank each month, as well as other organizations in our community like the Methodist Community Lunch served each Thursday. I am so proud to live in a generous community that supports those in need. 

Highlights of this past year include:

  • Our Little Free Garden project, supported with grants from the Blue Cross Foundation, creating 22 little raised beds with free produce. Bonners Ferry is the first location in Idaho for this national project — see www.littlefreegarden.com/map for all the locations. 
  • Our 4th Farm to Table Fundraising Dinner was held at BeeHaven Flower Farm, a seasonal cut flower farm now with a farmstand, located just 4 miles north of Bonners Ferry. It was an enchanted evening of music, fine food, and fundraising.
  • We started a local food system community potluck and speaker series last winter. Our 2nd season kicks off on Wed., January 15, at 6pm, and features Debbie Woods from CowCreek Blueberry Farm. Please join us! 
To continue your support of your local community garden, please consider paying an annual membership of $20 per individual, $35 per family, or $100 for a business membership. It’s easy to pay online from our website, https://growboundarycounty.org/. We will list you on our website as a partner if you wish. 

Finally, I wish to thank Trinity Lutheran Church for hosting our community garden site for the past 10 years. Without their support our work would not be possible! Here is our Annual Report to Trinity Lutheran Church for those who would like more details on our work in 2019. 

Wishing you all the best for 2020!

Sincerely,
Kate Painter
GROW Board Member
UI Extension Educator
kpainter@uidaho.edu
(208) 267-3235 office
(509) 432-5755 cell
GROW!’s Fourth Annual Farm to Table Fundraiser at BeeHaven Flower Farm