By China Cassidy During the Aug. 19 Holbrook Chamber of Commerce meeting Secretary Colleen Marsh and Administrative Secretary for the University of Arizona (UA) Cooperative Extension in Holbrook Cathy Bawden outlined some of the benefits and needs of the community garden at the Holbrook Public Library. Currently, the Holbrook Public Library offers free spots to anyone in the community who want to try their hand at gardening. Marsh shared some of her experience while visiting the garden with the Librarian Wendy Skevington and Bawden for the first time. “I had a really good time taking a tour of the community garden with Cathy and Wendy, it is just the cutest set up. I think it is a really good opportunity for the community to get involved right now.” With so many restrictions due to COVID-19 and the need to social distance, Marsh suggested that the community garden could be a great and inexpensive way for folks to get out and enjoy the garden with their family or friends, learn and maybe help out. Marsh also mentioned that volunteers are welcomed to help with the maintenance and weeding and that if anyone has a knack for making signage and would like to volunteer to make some for the garden, it would add to the appeal. Marsh stated, “Plots are available so if you want to come down and make it pretty too with a group or your family, come and decorate it, plant some things (and) tell people what you’re planting. It’s city water so it’s a really cheap way, a great way, even with social distancing and COVID, to make something beautiful and feel like you’re a part of the stitched community that we have here together.” It was also noted that the online Seed to Supper classes, a class for beginners in gardening, started on Aug. 19 but sign-ups are still available. “I also know that Cathy would love more volunteers to come help at the co-op extension with weeding, and upkeep, and tending and making it beautiful. She’s got some great ideas about how to work with our lower income folks to teach them about how to actually take it from seed to the table.” Bawden pointed out that in her experience, Holbrook is a great place to grow almost year-round because of the weather and between the hoop houses at the extension and the community garden at the library, there are a variety of opportunities. “I have stepped out into the garden at the extension office way into the first of the year when it was finally getting cold and freezing, so you can have and harvest vegetables pretty late in the year in Holbrook. You guys are so lucky.” Bawden pointed out that with the high tunnel (green house) more winter growing such as tomatoes and peppers can take place. “But at the community garden at the library there’s such an opportunity, there is no reason we can’t be doing fall plantings and lettuce and root vegetables, carrots and things that will grow on into the winter.” Because of restrictions surrounding COVID, Bawden is currently only at the extension one day a week but for those interested in learning more about how to help out at the garden they can contact Bawden at cbawden@email.arizona.edu . To sign up for the Seed to Supper contact Master Gardener Sterling Hancock at sterlingh@email.arizona.edu. The extension has also provided a map with the locations that offer free WIFI throughout the state for those who would like to take the class but do not have internet and can access it at azlibtap@gmail.com.