LINCOLN -- Lincoln Community Garden is winding down for the season and volunteers picked the last of the green tomatoes last week to donate to G.R.A.C.E. Place in Lincoln.
For the year, the garden has donated 4,413 tomatoes to the non-profit organization, along with 398 yellow squash, six zucchini, 585 cucumbers, 3,366 peppers, 110 pounds of potatoes, 504 onions, 8.75 pounds of green beans and its first pumpkin in six years.
Jim Sposato heads up the community garden, with volunteers from members of Washington County Master Gardeners, local citizens and students from the school system.
Deer getting into the garden created havoc this year, despite an electric fence around the area.
"We had a terrible deer problem this year," said Judy Cohea, a member of Lincoln United Methodist Church.
Most recently, she said they planted two rows of peas and it was gone by the next day because of deer.
This winter, she said the plan is to install a taller fence around the garden to keep out deer.
The community garden is in its sixth year and provides fresh produce to G.R.A.C.E. Place, a ministry started in 1988 and supported by 15 area churches. The ministry focuses on sharing about God and meeting needs of those in the area.
Over the past six years, the garden has donated more than 23,000 tomatoes, 18,000 peppers, 614 pounds of potatoes, 67 gallons of black-eyed peas, 44 gallons of green beans and 10 pounds of lettuce.