TAHLEQUAH — Tahlequah’s community garden connects a desire to learn job skills with the area’s burgeoning food movement.

This year marks the start of the garden’s third growing season.

“The purpose of the garden is to nourish our families, learn and hone job skills and to feed hungry people,” said Julie Gahn, who, among others, helps lead the effort.

The small garden is on West Delaware. The first year, 1/12th of an acre was devoted to the idea of Small Plot Intensive, or SPIN, farming. Produce was sold at the Tahlequah Farmers’ Market.

“We sold about $1,200 worth of produce and received a matching fund grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for $1,000,” said Gahn.

“Some of that money was used to buy more compost and incidentals for the first community garden, but we want to use most of it to start a second community garden.”

Many ideas drive the garden, and the quest to plant others.

“We nourish our families by building healthy soil, which, in theory, produces more nutritious food,” said Gahn. “We do know our home-grown produce tastes great, which gets us all to eat more veggies.”

Families are also nourished through the garden by having an outdoor activity to share.

“While we’re growing our food, we’re growing closer as a family,” said Gahn. “We’re blessed to have a lovely spot for the community garden and have spent many wonderful evenings enjoying a breeze, the songs of the birds and the buzzing of our beneficial insects. Some of my favorite memories are with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. They work some and play some, and everyone seems to go home happy.”

At least 10 percent of what is grown in the community garden is donated to the local CARE Food Pantry, and food has also been given to Help-In-Crisis. Families have also been given space in the garden to grow produce for consumption at home.

This year, the entire garden is being converted to family plots, a result of lessons learned from the SPIN farming experiment. Gahn said that confirmed it is difficult for parents to grow on a market scale if the garden is not near their home.

“Participation is free and open to anyone willing to use chemical-free gardening practices - no pesticides or herbicides or chemical fertilizers,” said Gahn. “We ask that participants donate 10 percent of their produce to the CARE Food Pantry.”

Those who have a plot can also participate in spring and fall preparations by adding compost, laying out the drip irrigation system, or maintaining paths.

And since the first garden is a success, Gahn and others want to help community members start other gardens.

“We would like to help start community gardens wherever at least three to five gardeners commit to starting the garden and keeping the garden going using natural methods,” said Gahn. “We have enough funds to start at least one more garden if the land can be used at no cost.”

Another goal is to start a website to help connect folks who have land with those who want to garden, said Gahn.

Volunteers are also needed for work days. Other needs, such as compost, are often sought, too.

Members of the First Lutheran Church created the garden after doing outreach work in the neighborhood around the church.

Locals can support the garden through the personal shopper service to be offered at the Tahlequah Farmers’ Market this year. Instead of selling produce to raise funds, the service will be offered for those who are unable to visit the market on Saturday mornings.

Gardening and permaculture classes are also set to be offered at the market on Saturdays, which will help growers learn to garden without chemicals.