Enhancing the community experience

WARWICK — On Thursday, Oct. 30, Home Depot delivered a brand new shed and other supplies to the Project Knomad Perma-Culture Community Garden Initiative site behind the skate park in Veteran's Memorial Park.

Project Knomad, inspired by local artist and skateboarder Ian Sharp, who passed away in 2012, is a local entity of coordinators, facilitators and skaters who come together to skate, create and enhance community experience.

"Knomad" would have been the name of Sharp's company if he had lived.

According to Donna Kaminski, creative catalyst and co-director at Project Knomad, the organization is engaged in a multi-faceted experience of the arts, in culturally relevant community endeavors and projects and in teaching relevant skills to youth that enhance and support future vocational goals.

A year in the making
The Perma-Culture Community Garden Initiative was begun by Project Knomad co-facilitator Innis Sampson as an educational and social space for youth and adults in the community.

Volunteers have been working on the project since last year, when they worked with the Village Department of Public Works to add a thick layer of mulch to a 100 by 150-foot area on village property behind the skate park.

Heartwoods Wood Mill, a company that employees Sampson, also contributed to the project.

'Free, recycled or donated'
One important component of a garden this size is a shed to store tools and other essentials.

Last May, Sampson applied to Home Depot for a gift card grant of $1,200, which was awarded in late September.

The grant was used to purchase the shed, paint and other much needed supplies.

"Everything we use is either free, recycled or donated," said Sampson.

Veggies, fruits and herbs
The garden is expected to yield a variety of crops including vegetables and herbs and even some fruit trees.

"We want to show people that we can raise lots of food in a small area," said Sampson. "This will be an educational project and it's OK to make mistakes. The garden will also be open to differently abled or elderly people."

Project Knomad is still working out the details with the village but the goal is a sustainable agricultural area for the community that, with the addition of recently constructed raised beds would even be wheel chair accessible.

Essential information
Contributions to Project Knomad can be mailed to P.O. Box 552, Warwick, NY 10990.

To learn more about Project Knomad, visit http://projectknomad.blogspot.com