Old Town Cape restores Community Garden in downtown Cape

Old Town Cape has partnered with Rotary Clubs to revitalize and restore Old Town Cape Community Garden, previously known as SEMO Scholarship Garden.

"We have partnered with two local Rotary Clubs to ensure a sustainable, organic garden with proper planning and funding," Old Town Cape said in a news release. Cape County Rotary is bringing in a city water line to feed the garden, and the Rotary Club of Southeast Missouri Service is providing the planning, materials, labor to revitalize the soil and ongoing maintenance.

Sherwin-Williams, Bo Shantz of State Farm and the Cape Girardeau Noon Optimist Club donated to the project.

"We have utilized our amazing volunteers, donations and community relationships to aid with assistance to weed the garden, remove invasive Bermuda grass, till the garden, spread donated alpaca manure to restore the nitrogen to the soil, till the garden again, and then we covered it with thick black gardening plastic to begin the solarization process," Old Town Cape said.

According to the release, Old Town Cape's long-term plan for the Community Garden is to plant an herb garden that will bridge the gap between the community and local food banks. Herbs will be paired with simple recipes that will contain highly nutritious ingredients, such as cabbage and squash, that are not being utilized by consumers of the food banks. Partnerships have been made with nutritionists at SoutheastHEALTH to ensure healthy and nutritious recipes.