Portneuf Valley Partners Break Ground on New Community Garden
Hadley Bodell
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — After more than a year of planning, a new community garden is taking root in Pocatello. Community members and city officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking at King Street and North Arthur Avenue.
About a year ago, Portneuf Valley Partners (PVP) saw a need for a community garden in Pocatello. Neighboring cities like Idaho Falls, Blackfoot and Twin Falls have had community garden spaces for years. Organizers said an unused lot across from the Pocatello Water Department gave them the perfect place to make the project a reality.
Organizers said the garden will cover about an acre, with phase one featuring 34 garden plots. Four of those plots will be designated community plots, maintained by volunteers and open for public harvesting.
According to Brittani Hobson, co-chair of the community garden initiative at Portneuf Valley Partners. The other 30 plots will be available for rent for the season, with sizes ranging from 10-by-10 or 10-by-15.”
Community members will maintain the community plots throughout the growing season. For those new to gardening, organizers are offering classes to help people learn how to garden and harvest their produce.
“The beauty of the community garden is that it’s bringing people together,” said Karl Petit, another co-chair at PVP. “There’s also the need in our community for good, sustainable resources for food. Having some healthy products they can manage and grow themselves is huge.”
The project was made possible because of several community partners. Portneuf Valley Partners strives to beautify the land, which Hobson said is exactly what the garden will do for the unused space. She added they’ll be building a fence around the entirety of the garden to keep unwanted wild animals like deer from foraging in the plots.
“We also have six neighborhood associations in our town, and they’re all going to donate a fruit tree,” Hobson said. “We’ll have a little grove of fruit trees, and people can come and pick from them.”
PVP also received a generous grant of $10,000 from the Ifft Foundation to start the community garden project. The city of Pocatello has been supportive along the way, as Mayor Mark Dahlquist was part of the original initiative to begin the garden.
“I was a member of the Portneuf Valley Partners before I took on the mayor’s position,” Dahlquist said. “We had a small task force that we put together because we really wanted a space where the community could come together and have a garden, and there was lots to figure out there.”
The mayor said there was lots of research and fundraising needed to make the project a reality. He added it was a group of dedicated individuals who saw the need in the community and have taken it on since his election.
“It promotes the beautification of our city, which is a high priority, to have good curb appeal and community,” Dahlquist said. “You benefit from growing and raising this produce. It’s another thing that brings Pocatello together.”
The hope is for both phases of construction on the garden to be complete by the spring 2027 season so the first harvest can be taken next fall. Since the idea was born, Dahlquist said the first big steps have been taken, which is an achievement.
“Next year at the same time, I think people are going to walk by or drive by here and see some great, beautiful garden spaces,” he said.
The space will provide fresh produce and an opportunity for residents to engage with fellow community members throughout the warm months.
“When you’re gardening next to somebody and you get to know each other and you’re participating in your community, that builds relationships, gets you outside and gets you some sun,” Petit added.
Portneuf Valley Partners is also looking for help naming the new addition to the community. To cast your vote and find information about getting involved, donating or reserving a plot, visit www.portneufvalleypartners.org/community-garden.