Holland couple offer own farmland for a community garden

Sharon Hanks

A conversation last year among members of their church has prompted a Holland couple to offer a portion of their farmland this year for a community garden. Owners of Teusink Pony Farms hope the fresh produce will help struggling individuals put food on the table during these tough economic times. It will also offer new gardening opportunities to those with shaded lawns or with yards too small to accommodate many plants.

Larry Teusink estimates nearly 80 plots of land are undergoing a transformation from a dirt-covered area used for parking into a thriving, lush neighborhood garden filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash and other fresh and nutritional produce.

The garden borders the parking lot of Park Christian Reformed Church, 1496 W. 32nd St. where Larry and his wife, Karen, attend.

"People are out there a lot of the time," Larry Teusink says in reference to gardeners, adding that he sees families of all ages. "We had no idea what kind of response we'd get. It's exciting to seem them make use of it."

"It's tremendous," Karen Teusink adds. "There are a lot of people who wanted to do this and needed an opportunity for this."

The seed for a garden got started last fall when the couple was talking about the weak economy among Park Church members. There were some community gardens on the north side of town, Larry says, but few options on the south side.

Larry says they had 40 plots of land tilled last fall in preparation for a spring garden. As news spread of the availability, however, the plots were spoken for quickly, so the number of plots nearly doubled with additional preparation. Larry says he's not sure how many plots there are now, but estimates the entire community garden sits on about one-half acre of Teusink's donated property.

"Some people from the church next door and the community have sort of taken it over," he says. Water is available by hand-pumping a nearby new well donated by Koops Drilling of Holland.

The historic 80-acre Pony Farm has been in the Teusink family since 1897. The couple raised their three children at the farm and now welcomes their 10 grandchildren. It's a popular place for school children to ride ponies and view farm animals, including chickens, rabbits, goats, cows and pigs.

Source: Larry and Karen of Teusink's Pony Farm, Holland

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.