'iGrowLemont' Initiative Aims to Cultivate Community, Healthy Living

What started as a small idea among friends has grown into a grassroots effort to bring Lemont residents together and promote healthy living.

Several volunteers will gather in downtown Lemont on Saturday for the kickoff of a new community initiative, "iGrowLemont." The group was founded earlier this year with the mission of cultivating community by providing opportunities and resources that will enhance the well-being of Lemont residents.

This spring, volunteers will build a community garden on Alba Street, near the Lemont Township Community Center. The harvest will be used to stock the Lemont food pantries with fresh produce, supply vegetables for free cooking demonstrations and will also be sold to raise money for the Lemont General Assistance Fund. 

"The vision was really just to create something that would bring the community together while also promoting healthy living," said Ashley Sullivan, a Lemont resident and co-founder of iGrowLemont.

Sullivan said the idea for iGrowLemont came from a simple desire to do something positive for the community. She and her friends, Lemont resident Caroline TeSelle and Petal Play Design owner Viviana Grasso, began brainstorming earlier this year and eventually decided to pursue a community garden.

"I love to garden, I love community and I love bringing people together," Sullivan said. "As the idea grew, we realized we could do all of those things and also create something that would support the local food pantries."

The iGrowLemont team will hold an informal kick-off event at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Talcott Square parking lot, 435 Talcott Ave., to build 10 raised beds for the garden. Volunteers and tools are needed, as well as trucks, wheel barrels, shovels and rakes. Music, kids activities and food will be provided.

Later this month, the beds will be installed in the new garden, the land for which was donated by Lemont Township. The garden will include dozens of vegetables and herbs, as well as a flower bed in the center, Sullivan said.

Lemont Township Facilities Director Kathy Henrikson said she loved the idea of having a garden near the Community Center—especially one that will benefit the 200 families who currently depend on the local food pantries.

"I was really excited to hear about iGrowLemont, particularly their plans to help those families and teach them about healthy living," Henrikson said. "I see it as being a positive thing for the community."

iGrowLemont will also cultivate an acre of land on 127th Street, which was donated by St. Matthew Lutheran Church. That land will be used for larger crops such as corn, pumpkins and watermelon, Sullivan said.

In addition to providing for the local food pantries, the community garden will also supply produce for free cooking demonstrations. By teaching residents to prepare healthy meals—and also providing occasional fitness classes—iGrowLemont hopes to improve the overall well-being of the Lemont community.

"The idea is to get the community involved in planting the garden, and teach them ways they can live and eat healthier," Sullivan said.

TeSalle, who has been working on the iGrowLemont website the last few weeks, said the group plans to keep the community updated on the garden and upcoming events through their blog, Facebook page and possibly an Instagram account.  

Grasso said she hopes iGrowLemont will achieve its guiding purpose of bringing residents together and serving the community.

"There will be many opportunities for people to get involved and do something positive for themselves and our town," Grasso said. 

Donate to iGrowLemont

Those who wish to volunteer should contact Ashley Sullivan at 301-848-3209 or email igrowlemontinfo@gmail.com.

Monetary contributions and/or gift cards to Ace Hardware, Menards, Home Depot, Lowes or other home and garden centers can be mailed to P.O. Box 493 in Lemont, IL, 60439. Checks should be made payable to iGrowLemont. PayPal donations are accepted through www.igrowlemont.com.

Materials Needed

• Wood (cedar preferred, but pressure-treated wood will work)
• Metal flashing
• Nails and nail gun or hammer(s), shovels, tiller, chicken wire, ground stakes, saws, measuring tape, levels, etc.
• Plants/seeds: horseradish, potatoes, carrots, leeks, celery, radishes, sunflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, icicle radishes, squash, zucchini, lettuce, peppers, strawberries, spinach, bush beans, onions, beets, marigolds, beans, peas
• Herbs: sage, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, rosemary, mint, summer savory
• Soil (provided by Country Landscape and Supply)
• Benches (four)
• Flashing or bendable metal to make circular floral beds in the center of the garden
• Floral and small plants
• Fencing to protect perimeter
• Watering methods—hoses, sprinklers, etc. (Callahan Plumbing is donating the installation of an automatic pop-up sprinkler system)

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