Kokomo Community Garden Yields Record Harvest of Food
The local garden produced 7,355 pounds of fresh vegetables for community pantries, a 45 percent increase over recent years.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Gardening
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A community garden located behind the Ivy Tech campus in Kokomo produced 7,355 pounds of fresh produce for local food assistance programs this season. This harvest marks a significant increase for the volunteer-run operation, which has been supplying fresh vegetables to the area since 2003.
Why it matters
The program helps bridge the gap for local pantries by focusing on high-demand vegetables that might otherwise be unavailable. By delivering fresh food within 48 hours of harvest, the garden ensures that local families have access to nutritious produce throughout the season.
The half-acre garden, managed by a core group of 10 volunteers, produced 7,355 pounds of food this year. This total reflects a 45 percent increase over the facility's five-year average, with all items distributed to local pantries within 24 to 48 hours.
The players
Ivy Tech Kokomo
A community college campus that provides the land, tool storage, and heavy equipment for the garden plot.
Purdue Extension
An educational outreach program that coordinates crop planning and operational logistics for the garden.
Howard County Master Gardeners Association
A local organization that provides necessary funding and handles the recruitment of garden volunteers.
The details
The garden operation, which began in 2003, leverages support from Purdue Extension for logistics and crop planning. Ivy Tech Kokomo provides the land and heavy machinery, while the Howard County Master Gardeners Association manages volunteer recruitment and funding. Volunteers track the output by weighing all produce immediately after harvesting to ensure data accuracy before it is sent to organizations like Coordinated Assistance Ministries.
Timeline
2003: The garden was first established.
April: Volunteers begin the seasonal task of turning the soil.
Late summer: Volunteers harvest crops multiple mornings per week.
2026: The garden concluded its most recent growing season.
The Home Front
This effort reflects a growing trend of utilizing campus land to address food security through organized local volunteerism. It aligns with broader models like the USDA's People's Garden initiative, which promotes community-based plots to supplement local food bank resources.
Residents interested in supporting the local food supply can contact the Howard County Extension Office at 765-456-2313 to inquire about volunteer opportunities for the upcoming spring season. You can also check with local organizations like the Samaritan Love Center to see if they accept home-grown produce donations during peak harvest months.
The takeaway
The Kokomo garden proves that even a small half-acre plot can yield thousands of pounds of fresh food when managed through an organized, multi-partner logistics network. Residents interested in future volunteer cycles should mark their calendars for April to assist with initial soil preparation.
Further reading
Learn more about local food-growing initiatives in the Gardening section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kokomo Tribune.
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