Grayling Community Garden

04/11/2026

UPDATE: A candidate has been selected to fill the VISTA position! Thank you to all who expressed interest.

🌱 We’re looking for an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate to work with us from May 18 – July 13 (37.5 hours/week). This is a great opportunity for undergrads, grad students, or anyone wanting hands-on community service experience! 🌻

🍓 Perks include:
* Bi-weekly stipend: $957.42
* Education award: $1,565.08
* Real-world experience in gardening, community outreach, and project management. The Summer Associate will learn from master gardeners about integrative pest management, irrigation, organic fertilizer, and growing food in a short season, with supervision from a member of the Grayling Community Garden’s transitional board and opportunities to engage with the organization’s volunteer leadership committee.

🪏 Duties include:
* Communicating with gardeners
* Leading volunteers
* Tackling projects on site, such as: compost management, maintaining paths & borders, tending plots
* Bonus if you can help with event planning or K–12 summer learning activities!

🧑‍🌾 Gardening experience preferred but not required.
🇺🇸 Must be 18+ and a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
🗓️ Interviews time slots will be available at the Commission on Aging, this Wednesday (4/15) or Thursday (4/16).
🚨 The application process must be completed by April 17!
📧 Email us ASAP for application details: [email protected]

Please share this post or tag anyone who might be interested! Thank you for helping us grow our Grayling community. 💚

04/08/2026

Registration is now open for the Grayling Community Garden. The garden opens May 1 and closes Oct. 31.

“We are looking to bring more of our community into the garden this year and expand collaboration,” Grayling Community Garden member Cheryl Melroy said. “We also are using a shared leadership model.”

This year the Grayling Community Garden has been approved as an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate host site.

For information about garden registration, how to apply for the AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate position or other information regarding the garden, email [email protected].

https://www.crawfordcountyavalanche.com/articles/news/grayling-community-garden-preparing-for-2026-season/

08/22/2025

Thank you to all who visited the garden this week and contributed to support our mission: The Grayling Community Garden is a food growing endeavor, recognized as an open, accessible gathering space for all ages and abilities to share knowledge and leisure, and is supported by sustainable practices.

First we hosted a private tour for The Kirtland Garden Club, which was followed by their monthly meeting at Ray’s BBQ. Then we had a wonderful group participate in a mindfulness meditation guided by Patty Clark, followed by a beautiful spread of delicious plant-based foods - prepared and shared by the whole group!

It’s getting to be peak harvest season, and the garden is very much alive with nourishment for the mind, body, and soul. Many gardeners are enjoying the fruits of their labor and processing their bounties for enjoyment in the winter. Check us out, just outside the Grayling city limits, at the corner of Madsen and Mary Ann Streets!

07/20/2025

So much is growing at the Garden! Just love this part of the season!

05/10/2025

🪏 Attention Gardeners: Our final orientation will be on Saturday, May 17 at 10 am. Orientation is mandatory for primary gardeners, so please contact us if you need to schedule a different time!🌷

🌞 All individual plots have been reserved. If you’d like to join the garden as a member (to help someone else with their plot) or a volunteer (to help with the community plots and general garden maintenance), please find the registration form at this link: https://www.crawfordcoa.org/grayling-community-garden 🌿

🐝 Thanks for all of the support and participation! The 2025 growing season is already off to a great start. 💚

The Grayling Community Garden is gearing up for its 17th season!  The month of May will be used for garden maintenance and to prepare for the upcoming season from June 1– October 31..  The garden is located at the corner of Madsen and Mary Ann Streets, made available courtesy of the Carl W. Borc...

04/21/2025

In 2024, the garden was completely transformed! We expanded the area to ~20,000 square feet, with the installation of a brand new 8ft welded wire deer fence. The plot layout was reconfigured, with w**d barrier fabric and wood chips covering all of the paths and borders. We dedicated our first elevated garden bed, and enlarged our cement pad to improve accessibility. Make sure to register if you would like to grow with us in 2025!

04/21/2025

🌱 Garden registration is OFFICIALLY OPEN! 🌼

📋 To reserve an individual plot, return the registration form (page 2 only) by email or drop it off at the COA Senior Center front desk. The $25 plot fee can be paid in person at the COA or online. Please note "Garden Registration Fee" for online payments through this link: https://www.crawfordcoa.org/make-a-donation No payments at the garden, please! 🧺

🧑‍🌾 All registered gardeners are invited to our first orientation & garden clean-up day on Sunday, April 27 at 12 PM. Plots will be assigned only to primary gardeners who have completed registration. The next orientation will be held on Saturday, May 17. 🌻

🥕 Check out the attached images for more details. Let’s grow together! 💚

03/09/2025

With signs of Spring appearing all around us… we are working on updating the garden registration page for 2025, and will make an announcement here when the new link is live. Thank you for your patience! Looking forward to another great year growing big in Grayling! 🌻

10/03/2024

Someone anonymously dropped off a box of seed potatoes at the garden in the spring, some of which were planted in 2 community food donation plots. Yesterday we harvested over 40 lbs! The largest potato was a whopping 1.5 lbs! Thank you, anonymous donor!

10/03/2024

Thank you North Central Michigan Community Foundation !

Extra! Extra! The Grayling Community Garden received a $2,500 grant from our North Central Michigan Community Foundation to provide cement pads for additional raised beds, giving those with physical limitations accessibility to garden more easily. The garden in its 16th season this year produces flowers and vegetables annually, with thousands of pounds of vegetables feeding those in need within the community.

09/29/2024

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day at the garden to honor Greg. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event so special, either by attending today or contributing to the success of this year's garden. This is community collaboration at it’s finest!