Fayette

will be getting a victory garden of sorts.

County

commissioners have approved a request from the

County Extension Service and Master Gardeners to

establish a vegetable garden behind the

Hollingsworth House, next to the County

Administrative Complex.

But

that's only temporary, said Sheldon Hammond,

county extension agent.

Long-term,

the gardeners hope to establish a complete

demonstration garden, including vegetables and

flowers, he said.

"This

is a unique opportunity to provide a great

educational asset to Fayette County,"

Hammond said in a letter to commissioners.

The

garden, he said, could be used to teach programs,

classes and workshops and use the garden for

groups such as homeowners, school classrooms,

after-school programs and Master Gardener

education programs, plus updates for professional

gardeners.

But

the grassy area behind the Hollingsworth House is

not the best place for a permanent teaching

garden, said county manager Billy Beckett. The

county might need that property for other uses in

the future.

"I

suggest we identify an area in the judicial

complex area," he said.

Commissioners

agreed, but approved a vegetables-only garden

behind the Hollingsworth House as a temporary

measure, to be plowed under and planted with

grass each fall until a more permanent site can

be found.

Produce

from the garden will be given to at-risk youths,

the elderly and needy, said Hammond.

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