KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP (WKZO-AM) — They grew everything from Acorn Squash to Zucchini in this year’s garden at the Kalamazoo County Jail.
Rutabaga, kohlrabi and kale, and they also grew familiar veggies, like tomatoes, green beans and even pumpkins.
The garden is on a peice of land left as a buffer between the jail and the Interstate 94 business loop. The gardeners listen to the sound of traffic whizzing by. It’s that southern exposure that gives the plants plenty of sunlight.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Rick Fuller says they shaved about $1,800 off their food budget while providing inmates with fresh vegetables. They gave inmates an opportunity to learn a skill.
At the end of the harvest, they had enough leftovers to provide local food pantries with 925 pounds of fresh garden produce.
Some of the pumpkins went to the children of inmates for Halloween. The rest went to St. Monica’s School. They decorated them and sold them, raising $450 for Toys For Tots.
Plans are already underway for next year’s jail garden.
