Community garden at the Ester library

For the last two years, an informal community garden has been functioning at the JTEL's Clausen Cabin, in part to help preserve Ida Clausen's gardening legacy, passed on by Lynn and Ray Kulp (formidable gardeners themselves), and in part to provide an option for JTEL members and residents of Ester who had unfavorable gardening locations (or none!). The JTEL has provided information on running a community garden, seed starting and saving, gardening books, tools, seeds, and a few flower and vegetable beds. So far, it has worked. The only requirement has been that those who take advantage of a bed or the other options also help care for the rest of the yard (i.e., show up for the garden work parties or water the flower pots on the porch if they seem to need it, mow the lawn).

Diagram showing major garden beds around the Clausen Cabin. 

Reservations are taken for the major beds starting in March. The JTEL recommends contacting Calypso Farm & Ecology Center for information on gardening best practices. While no formal community garden has been organized, the JTEL is open to options. If you have some ideas about this, send us an e-mail at board at esterlibrary.org. Thanks!

Thank you!

Twenty people pledged $1,325 to the John Trigg Ester Library from their Permanent Fund Dividend through the Pick.Click.Give. program this year, and that means a LOT to us! We know the choices were harder this year, and so we appreciate each donor that much more. Thank  you.

Here's why one person supported the library through the PCG program:

I like the convenience of walking to a neighborhood library rather than going downtown or to the bookstore. A bookmobile doesn't replace that community center feel that a library has, and I want that for our village. The Pick.Click.Give. program gave me a convenient way to donate to a cause I believe in.