RUMFORD — Sandy Witas was busy Monday cleaning up the two adopt-a-spot vegetable gardens downtown. She pulled each plant, roots and all,  and tossed it into the back of her pickup.

This year’s two spots – a giant brick planter at Hartford and River streets, and a planter at the end of Congress Street — were filled with tomatoes, eggplants, summer squash, Swiss chard, herbs and many other fresh vegetables.

In previous years, the planters were filled with flowers, but an emphasis on eating healthy and a grant to Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 for its after-school program, led to the vegetable plantings.

There were flowers, too, Witas said, but they were edible. They included pansies and nasturtiums.

Witas is an administrative assistant for the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition and has taken on the responsibility for planting and caring for the two vegetable planters. The local group also contributed to the purchase of seedlings.

Anyone was welcome to take what they wanted, she said.

Next year, she plans to post signs at each seedling showing when the vegetable is ready to pick and eat. Also, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will donate several rain barrels so the two planters can easily be watered during dry spells. She hopes to work out a community effort with the Rumford Fire Department to help out, when necessary.

Witas also volunteered at the Extension’s gardens next to Hosmer Field.

That project, primarily cared for by master gardeners from the area, is part of the statewide program Maine Harvest for Hunger.

Although the total amount of food raised has not yet been tallied, Witas expects the goal of 3,600 pounds to be met or exceeded.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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