A Nesquehoning couple is hoping to help the community during the growing season by providing a garden that can supply fresh fruit and vegetables for those in need.

This past spring, Brian and Amber Stout met with Nesquehoning Conservation Club to ask for space for a community garden. The club graciously agreed, allowing the couple to move forward with their idea and the Nesquehoning Community Garden was born.

Located on the conservation club’s property between Park Avenue and Industrial Road in the Hauto Valley Estates section of the borough, the garden began to grow.

The Stouts, with the help of several family members, as well as friends, began bringing their idea to life, creating raised garden boxes using pallets and fencing off a plot of land that eventually was filled with various seeds.

Amber said that the idea came about from a post about Rob Greenfield’s Free Seed Project, which provides people with free seed packets to create a garden.

She got the seeds and planted the idea to help the community.

As the Stouts worked to create the garden area, friends helped with the planting and soon, a variety of vegetables, including corn, tomatoes, peppers and more, were beginning to take root.

Amber also took to Facebook, creating the Nesquehoning Community Garden Facebook page as a way to inform the community of the garden, what was available and encouraged them to take part to plan their own fresh produce.

“I’m proud of the community garden progress,” she said, noting that the first growing season showed promise to help those in need.

She said that the project aims to provide fresh produce to the area because as food prices go up, sometimes it is a struggle for people to get the nutrition they need.

The Stouts aren’t done yet, they said. There are plans to expand on the garden to create additional planting boxes and provide even more opportunities for the community to come together, learn to garden and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

“It’s a way to create a fun outdoor space for everyone,” Amber said, adding that she would love to see people come together to make the garden a bigger success than it had been this year.

While the gardening season is over for the year, the Stouts are planning and hope to hear from people over the winter months to create a stronger community network.

Amber will update the group’s Facebook page and as the growing season gets closer, additional plans for the next growing season will be made.

For anyone wishing to help with the garden, join the group’s Facebook page or GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/nesquehoning-community-garden

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to contribute and make a difference in the community by growing fresh fruits and vegetables,” Amber said.