Capitol Campus food garden brings local community together

| By DES Communications

A group of volunteers from Olympia High School and Thurston County Food Bank digging for potatoes and garlic in the Capitol Campus garden.

Local volunteers use the Capitol Campus community gardens to produce food for Thurston County Food Bank.

Capitol Campus Garden

On July 11, our friends at Thurston County Food Bank and the Freedom Farmers of Olympia High School planted and harvested potatoes and garlic as part of their annual summer visit to the Capitol Campus gardens. They use these community gardens to produce food for Thurston County Food Bank clients.

This partnership between Olympia High School and Thurston County Food Bank has been active for the last 12 years at the Capitol Campus location, with two other farm sites elsewhere in Washington state.

Community Building

"The real strength of all of these programs, and what they mean to individuals' lives, is the way that communities and neighborhoods are coming together to support them," said James Wirth, Field to Food Bank Coordinator of Thurston County Food Bank.

According to James, the partnership between the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and the Thurston County foodbank at the Capitol Gardens is going on 20 years now.

Like the thousands of others who visit the campus year-round, Dana, an Olympia student, views these grounds as a place to enjoy with others. "I've walked around this place a lot with my friends,” she said. “I've made so many memories here.”

Dana and her fellow volunteers share the sentiment of giving back by serving the community. The work they all do is vital to our collective wellbeing, and it’s an honor to continue nurturing this partnership together.

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