The Sumner community garden received a grant to establish compost demonstration sites at one of their two locations, Shepherd’s Field.

The money comes from a grant that Pierce County received from the Department of Ecology called the Coordinated Prevention Grant.

The Sumner community garden received $2,000 to use toward creating composting systems.

“Money not used on the compost system may be used in the garden for materials such as garden beds, educational materials, garden soil and mulch,” Stephanie Leisle, environmental educator in the Sustainable Resources Department of the Pierce County Public Works and Utilities.

The community garden will create simple, light weight, efficient composting bins for each plot for composting, Program Director Randy Hynek said.

“These bins will save time and money and they will provide free fertilizer,” Hynek said.

The composting bins will start being used in the spring when gardening starts up again, he said.

Aside from the money received from the grant, Linda Holmes from McLendon Hardware donated $100 to be used toward merchandise and/or delivery to the Sumner community garden.

Hynek added that aside from growing crops, the community garden also grows gardeners.

“We’re excited and thankful for our volunteers and the grant,” Hynek said.