BILLINGS, Mont. — After three years filled with flooding, poor soil and failed crops, a community garden at MetraPark is finally seeing the fruits, and vegetables, of its labor.
The People's Garden completed its first successful harvest this year, with organizations and community members growing everything from artichokes and tomatoes to cabbage.
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Now, those behind the garden are looking at ways the produce could eventually help feed the broader Billings community.
The idea for the garden began about four years ago after buildings that once occupied the property were removed during renovations in 2020 and 2021.
“This was the old site of the Sandstone Building which had been there for nearly 80 years,” MetraPark Production Director Craig Peterson said. “We had the Heritage building over there and once they were condemned and removed, we didn't really have anything or a use for the space.”
Peterson and several others decided to turn the space into a garden, in partnership with the USDA.
“Something that would benefit the grounds and be something that we can involve the community in,” Peterson said.
But turning that vision into a successful garden proved difficult. Heavy rain caused flooding that damaged the garden in 2024.
“There were some local groups that donated seed for us,” said Peterson. “And then during fair, we ended up with a significant amount of rain which then flooded the street and washed out over the entire garden and took a good portion of what we had done with it.”
The soil also presented another challenge.
“After 80 years the soil is pretty much dead. So, you need to introduce quite a bit of organics and nutrients into it,” Peterson said.
Private donors helped pay for compost to improve the soil and drains to protect the garden from future flooding.
“It was always a learning curve,” Peterson said.
Those efforts paid off this year. Schools and community groups adopted all 24 plots in the garden.
“This year we had a Native American group, several schools, I believe the YMCA, YWCA. We had some local ag companies, seed companies come in and provide us with the agricultural crops,” Peterson said.
With a successful growing season now behind them, Peterson said organizers are beginning to consider what could come next.
One possibility is donating produce to nonprofits and food banks. Peterson said there has also been discussion about creating a small farm stand where people could pick up produce.
“We do have some of the adopted folks that are looking at other options. I've heard that they would like to build a little farm stand — a take some produce type scenario to where we can donate that produce,” Peterson said.
The produce could help fill a need in the community.
According to the USDA, “Many low-income urban areas lack grocery stores and access to nutritious food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Next door to The People's Garden, the Yellowstone County Master Gardener Association already donates hundreds of pounds of produce from their gardens to food banks each year, according to Peterson.
“I think it gives us something to strive towards with the gardens here,” Peterson told MTN.
Another possibility could be taking the produce and hosting farm-to-table dinners.
“There's talk amongst the folks that are excited about the garden of someday maybe having some farm to table banquet dinners,” Peterson said. “We've got some chefs that are excited about someday using the produce.”
For now, the garden remains open to organizations and community members willing to put in the work. Adopting one of the 24 plots is free, but participants are responsible for providing their own labor and materials.
Sign-ups for plots are expected to open again in March.
“We hope that, you know, it'll grow organically and folks will get involved and bring their friends and bring their family,” Peterson said. “We're super hopeful as to where it can grow.”
