Tucked away in the middle of

downtown Fayetteville is a special garden that reaches across the county.

A group of master gardeners

organized by the Fayette County Extension Service is working a piece of

county-owned land behind the Hollingsworth House and the county administration

complex, and the harvest has been plentiful.

For the past several years,

local growers have participated in the "Plant a Row for the Hungry"

program, in which the crops are tended by volunteers and the resulting

bounty given to needy organizations in the area. A group of rookie master

gardeners, led by Barry Braender, is spearheading this year's effort.

Braender said that he was asked

to organize the work this summer after he and several other participants

completed their master gardener training in April. They come out twice

a week and tend to the site, which has responded with pleasing results.

A variety of crops are springing

up out of the ground, including cucumbers, okra, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,

corn (400 pounds so far this year) zucchini and beans.

"A lot of this is a second

crop," said Braender. "The rain has been good to us."

The group starting planting

April 15, after a couple of weeks of work getting the ground ready. The

crops are rotated, and some fall vegetables, such broccoli and turnip

greens, are to be planted soon.

About 1,400 pounds of produce

has been brought in so far this year, Braender said. It has gone to the

Fayette Samaritans, the Fayette Youth Protection Homes, the senior center

and the domestic violence shelter, to name a few destinations.

Work will continue at the site

until November or December.

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