Cultivating Community: How the Inlet Community Garden is Shaping a Sustainable Local Food Movement

Inlet’s old school building, with its classic white siding and red roof, might look ordinary from Route 28. But step behind it, and you’ll find a vibrant garden filled with raised beds brimming with vegetables.

“This year, the tomato plants are insane! Some are eight feet tall!” says Stephen Cole, a board member of the Inlet Area Community Taskforce. This group, formed in 2022, is dedicated to clean energy, community projects, and food security in this small Adirondack town of 330 residents.

Cole has poured years of effort into the community garden, transforming the former K-6 school into a hub for families and fresh produce. He’s crafted the garden beds, organized materials, and invested countless hours bringing this project to life. “We have more sunlight here than most yards in the area,” Cole explains. “It’s one of the sunniest spots I’ve found.”

This garden is only three years old, but it’s flourished quickly. It started with just a few beds—10 last year—and now has 24 in the main area, plus six more by the road. The support from the taskforce and the community has been crucial; materials for the beds came from local donations. “It’s truly a town project,” Cole adds, highlighting the community spirit. He first envisioned the garden after the school closed in 2019, wanting to provide locals with fresh food.

Having grown up in Missouri with a thriving garden of his own, Cole always dreamed of gardening again. After living in big cities like Barcelona and Chicago, he settled in Inlet in 2016. “I was surprised to see there were no community gardens here,” he recalls. “When I started ours, many locals didn’t even know what a community garden was.”

Creating this garden was a way to improve local food access. Cole believes that many residents still drive to Walmart in Utica for groceries. He points to his garden bed filled with flavorful basil and green zebra tomatoes. “They taste so fresh, like an apple with a sprinkle of salt,” he shares.

Alicia Cress, a local mother, is also among the gardeners. She’s harvesting vegetables with her son, Ryker. “This is our first year, and it’s been great,” she says. Their garden bed thrives with sunshine, making it a fun family activity. “My kids love eating vegetables right from the garden,” she adds.

The garden buzzes with life beyond the individual beds. Each Tuesday, a local farm sets up a stand outside the school, bringing fresh vegetables and pasture-raised meats to the community. According to Cole, sales there surpassed those at larger farmer’s markets. “There’s a clear demand for local food,” he observes.

In addition to the garden, volunteers are experimenting with hydroponic towers, growing herbs and strawberries indoors. Cole dreams of providing these towers for winter gardening, teaching families how to nourish their plants. He’s also planning to expand the garden with more beds and a deer fence to protect their crops.

The community spirit is strong in Inlet, where gardeners help each other maintain the beds. “We have an incredible group this year,” Cole beams, seeing them go above and beyond to support one another.

Cole prefers to keep the spotlight off himself, focusing instead on the joy gardens bring to others. “If I can create something for everyone to enjoy, that means everything to me,” he concludes.

This community effort underscores how local gardening can strengthen ties, promote sustainability, and enhance food access in small towns. For more on the benefits of community gardens, check out the [American Community Gardening Association](https://communitygarden.org).

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