Provo » Staring out one's office window usually results in a refreshing break from the daily grind.
But for Matthew Taylor and Nathan Murray, looking out their windows in the city's Community Development Department means some of the area's poor will get some fresh produce this year.
The men, along with other staff members in the city's Planning and Zoning divisions, have turned the planters on the south side of City Center into an urban garden, growing squash, potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables that will be donated to Community Action Agency's food bank.
"Nathan and I had read a book, Guerilla Gardening , about putting gardens in places that are vacant," Taylor said. "As I looked out the window, I thought this was a perfect spot."
The garden started indoors, with the employees growing plants from seed in their work cubicles. When the plants got big enough, the gardeners moved them to the planters. The city's Public Works Department assisted as well, donating compost to give the plants the proper nutrients.
The employees in the planning and zoning divisions take turns watering, weeding and tending the crops. It takes about 15 minutes, three times a day to go over the planters.
Taylor and Murray said since the plants have become more mature and fill the planters, the weeding is minimal. Plus it helped to have compost that was relatively free of weed seeds.
Taylor has a small plot at his home, but he said he does a better job with the garden at city center since he is sharing responsibility with co-workers.
Signs on the planters warn people that the produce is destined for the food bank, and not to help themselves. So far the signs are working, the employees say. People may stop and look at the plants, but nobody's stealing any of the crops.
"We see a lot of people interested in the plants," Taylor said.
So far, the employees have shipped 70 pounds of produce to Community Action to give to needy families. Myla Dutton, Community Action's executive director, said the produce is a welcome addition to the canned and processed food that is usually found on food bank shelves.
Community Action already encourages people to donate produce by asking gardeners to sow an extra row just for donation. She hopes the employees' efforts will inspire others to help out, even if they don't have a vast backyard garden.
"I think this is a wonderful example by Provo," Dutton said.
In addition to donations from gardeners, the food bank also gets produce from local grocery stores and the Utah County Jail, where inmates tend a vegetable garden.
