LARNED — It may be the middle of winter, but the Larned Civic PRIDE organization in the Pawnee County community has its sights on spring.
More specifically, PRIDE members are looking forward to the completion of their most current project underway at the community garden grounds west of town.
Last fall, students in Larned High School industrial arts instructor Adam Hewson’s carpentry class began working on layout and construction of a 16-foot by 24-foot greenhouse as a source for bedding plants suitable for transplant to the garden in season.
At the group’s meeting last Monday at the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital meeting room, Dr. Jenny Manry, Chair of the Department of Nursing at Fort Hays State University, presented an update on progress at the garden with information on grant funds received and anticipated on future projects.
Manry, who has authored many of the grants received by the PRIDE organization, noted that the most recent award was announced on Christmas Eve by the Kansas Department of Commerce from its Office of Rural Prosperity as a portion of more than $300,000 in Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grants to quality-of-life community projects in 15 communities across the state. Larned’s portion will provide $25,000 in state funds toward the greenhouse construction.
Community engagement
The greenhouse advances PRIDE’s commitment to community connections and engagement as its first project since organizing in 2009 in collaboration with Larned Kiwanis and the Pawnee County Extension Office. Beginning with the establishment of a place for locally-grown produce that includes a fruit tree orchard, the garden has most recently benefitted by the construction of a market building and garage by Hewson’s building trades class last summer as well as on-site bathroom facilities.
The orchard features Asian pears; “plupots” (plum/apricot hybrid) and cherries. Garden produce includes tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini and cucumbers. Manry noted that seeds for the 2026 crop have been donated.
Greenhouse features
The stick-built frame for the greenhouse will be covered by polycarbonate panels purchased from Greenhouse Megastore. Planned interior features include an automated environmental control system, a germination chamber; vacuum sealer and freeze dryer unit. Manry noted more grants are pending; another update will be provided in March.
