At our August 25, 2025, meeting at A&W West End Grill, Greg Brink introduced his guest speaker, Sheila Gabreski. Sheila has been coordinating the Penn State Cooperative Extension of Potter County for 15 years and has been a 4-H Leader for 20 years. Both Greg and Sheila are on the Community Garden Planning Committee.

The Community Garden is the brainchild of Dr. Mary Ann Rigas, a Pediatrician who became concerned about the health of children in our area. She wanted, not only to teach kids how to eat healthily from stores, but to teach them to grow healthy food.

After soliciting a grant from the American Pediatric Association, she approached Potter County Commissioners and got a particularly enthusiastic response from former Commissioner Barry Hayman, who had also been a teacher.

In the winter of 2021, the Community Garden Planning Committee approached UPMC for funding, which they agreed to fund 100%, with a grant of $15,000.

Commissioner Hayman then got permission to use the property next to the Education Council on Water Street as a Community Garden site. The Potter County Maintenance Crew installed fencing, and created 25 garden plots which have now grown to 33 4′ x 8’ plots, including 4 that are elevated to make them accessible to handicapped people, a Pollinator Garden, a compost pile and a bin for plant material. There is a shed by Water Street where gardeners put excess produce to give to the public free of charge.

Visitors are welcome to go in and look at the gardens but not harvest anything.

Applications for a garden plot are open mid-January and are usually booked by March. The applications ask if you have a home garden or room for one. Preference is given to those who cannot have one at home.

Master Gardeners give 3 free classes in May, June and July. There are strict guidelines for behavior. Kassie Shumac, the Garden Manager, is the “Garden Police.” Nobody picks anyone
else’s produce and recent episodes of theft have turned out to be a woodchuck living under the Pollinator Garden.

There is an extensive supply of gardening equipment and a compost bin. Coudersport High School students designed and built a bench with a double-sided bulletin board. The FFA group at the school reached out to them in 2023 and now grows 100-160 free starter plants.

More information can be found on the Garden’s Facebook
Page, Potter County Community Garden, and at their website:
http://pottercountycommunitygarden.org

Thank you, Sheila, for your interesting and informative presentation!