Some changes have taken shape in the Logan County Jail garden this year, including the trial of a new gardening method, and to celebrate the hard work of staff throughout the seventh growing season, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office hosted its annual harvest lunch Friday.
Jail harvest lunch: Lt. Ryan Furlong, standing at right, speaks Friday with attendees at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office’s annual jail garden harvest lunch, including Delores Fults and Mick Anderson who are seated by him, and Deputy Tom Meek and Ray Quay seated across from them. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
Jail Administrator Lt. Greg Fitzpatrick said while overseeing the garden at the 284 S. County Road 32 sheriff’s office and jail complex has been a favorite activity of his in recent years, he had to take a step back this year because of health issues within his family. As a result, Communications Coordinator Christy Astorino filled in to organize the operation.
“Christy took charge of the garden and she did an amazing job,” Lt. Fitzpatrick said, noting that this year’s harvest included green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and zucchini, some of which has been frozen to utilize throughout the winter months for inmate meals.
The garden is primarily cultivated by inmates, who earn “good time” credit by working there. The project also helps cut expenses in the jail’s food budget.
As for the new gardening method, Wenger’s Produce helped pilot the effort by using plastic raised beds, which was a success in the smaller scale garden that was maintained this year. Lt. Fitzpatrick said staff members look forward to utilizing this method again and plan to gradually increase the garden size.
Much of the productivity of the garden also depends on the sheriff’s office kitchen staff incorporating the various produce items into meals at the jail, the administrator noted. He said while there have been some recent kitchen staff hiring difficulties, the current two cooks Carmen Loudermilk and Misty Swartz “have really stepped up and made the best of the garden and its harvest,” he said.
The garden project began in 2010 after Lt. Fitzpatrick and now retired Logan County Sheriff Andrew J. Smith heard of a similar initiative at a jail in Sandusky County, and traveled to that facility.
In April 2010, the local jail hosted its first garden, a 40-foot by 80-foot plot. The following year, the garden was expanded into a second large plot.