This spring the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has implemented a win-win project that will not only supply fresh, healthy produce for local residents facing food insecurity, but also provide inspiration for the trustees caring for it. The bounty from the garden will be donated to Hands of Mercy Outreach Center throughout the growing season. Hands of Mercy is currently feeding more than 100 local families.

Last spring Sheriff Tull Malone said he thought about growing a little raised garden at the Sheriff’s Office and presented the idea to some of the inmates. “The trustees loved the idea,” he said. “They’re 100% bought in.” He supplied seed for the vegetables, which included snow peas, tomatoes, beans and okra.

“The trustees loved working in the garden. They wanted a bigger garden this year,” Malone said. Last year’s garden was approximately 30-ft. long by 10-ft. wide, which will be used again this year but with more space allocated. Three inmates, under the direction of Justin Christmas, facilities maintenance supervisor, will tending the strip garden. The rows are separated by strips of grass to provide easier access for weeding and harvesting the fruit and vegetables.

Since the planting will be done in an area located over bedrock, the soil had to be built up and amended with nutrients. Fayetteville Public Utilities (FPU) donated mulch made from ground up trees and composted on the LCSO property. Leaves the trustees had raked up from Lincoln County Courthouse lawn in the fall were hauled back to the sheriff’s office property and also ground up, then added to the compost. Once those ingredients had decomposed, they were added to the soil. Additionally, Sheriff Malone hauled in two trailer loads of soil from his farm to build up the garden. With help from Christmas, the trustees worked up the soil, said Malone. Last fall they added lime to the four rows of soil, each approximately 180-feet long.

Planting has already begun. Tomato plants have been growing in tubs and other plants were started in cups. Green beans and squash have been planted. Turnip greens, purple-top turnips, okra, cantaloupe and watermelon will also be planted.

The goal is to rotate the beds by planting seeds at different times so the gardens continue producing throughout the growing season. Later in the season the trustees will side dress the rows with fertilizer.