Hudson Community Garden gears up for 2022 season

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Hudson Community Garden gears up for 2022 season
The Hudson Community Garden is located at 6 Port Street in town. (Photo/Dakota Antelman)

HUDSON – The Hudson Community Garden is gearing up for its eleventh season spent serving the community this spring. 

Applications are now open for residents to rent their own plot and grow their own produce within the garden. Anyone is invited to apply regardless of skill level. 

“If someone is not an experienced gardener, it is the perfect place to come and learn from other people,” area gardener Cathy Hoffman recently told the Community Advocate. “This is the place to try it.” 

The garden rests on land once owned by the Loureiro family. Initially purchased in 2001 to be used for passive recreation, the space sat dormant for over a decade. 

A group of volunteers began gathering to discuss the possibility of a Community Garden in 2011. The Loureiro property was then repurposed for that use between 2012 and 2013 using Community Preservation Act funds. 

The garden now has approximately 102 raised beds, enough to support between 50 and 60 gardeners growing their own produce. The garden also maintains certain plots dedicated to produce donations for the Hudson Community Food Pantry. 

Hoffman noted that the garden is intergenerational, seeing volunteers of all ages participating in the community effort. 

“The gardeners themselves age from ‘in the womb’ to people in their early 90s,” Hoffman said. “It’s an appropriate activity for any age and any ability.”

The garden is entirely run by volunteers, receiving labor and financial support from those involved with the project.

“It’s a lovely spot, it’s been very successful for the town thanks to the people who have kept it going for years,” Hoffman said. 

This year, the garden is encouraging new gardeners to apply to expand its ranks and mentor community members to volunteer with the garden for years to come. 

“We’re actively seeking new gardeners and looking forward to having new people join us,” Hoffman said. 

The garden charges $20 for the first bed, and $15 for each subsequent bed, with each gardener allowed to use up to four beds. 

Hoffman noted, though, that any gardener who may not be able to afford a bed or their own tools can receive support from the garden. 

“If we have someone who wants to garden but can’t afford the fee, we can help cover them with our financial aid account,” said Hoffman. “We have an assortment of tools you can borrow.”

The Community Garden is located at 6 Port Street in Hudson, near the Hudson Portuguese Club.

Those looking to apply should email [email protected] to request an application.

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