Kokomo Community Garden Produces Record Harvest

A half-acre garden in Kokomo yielded over 7,000 pounds of fresh produce for local food assistance programs.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Gardening

Bold vector editorial illustration showing a wooden crate overflowing with fresh garden vegetables like tomatoes, beans, and carrots. — Volunteers at an Ivy Tech campus garden in Kokomo harvested over 7,300 pounds of vegetables this season to support area food pantries. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your local community prioritize funding and organizing its own gardens to supply fresh pantry food?

Volunteers at an Ivy Tech campus garden in Kokomo harvested 7,355 pounds of vegetables this season to support area food pantries. The haul represents a 45 percent increase over the garden's five-year production average.

Why it matters

The initiative addresses local food insecurity by focusing on high-demand vegetables and ensuring fresh delivery to pantries within 48 hours. By bridging the gap between local resources and community need, the project provides consistent nutritional support.

The garden occupies a 0.5-acre plot and has been in operation for 23 years. A core team of 10 volunteers manages the labor required to sustain production.

The players

Ivy Tech

This public community college system provides the land, heavy equipment, and tool storage facilities for the garden.

Purdue Extension

This organization manages the crop planning and logistical operations for the garden.

Howard County Master Gardeners Association

This group is responsible for providing funding and recruiting the volunteers who work at the site.

The details

The garden operation, located behind the Ivy Tech campus, relies on a partnership where the college provides land and heavy equipment while the Howard County Master Gardeners Association handles funding. Collected produce is distributed to organizations such as Coordinated Assistance Ministries, Hillsdale United Methodist Church, Howard Haven, and the Samaritan Love Center.

The community garden was first planted in 2003.
Volunteers begin turning the soil each April.
Crops are harvested multiple mornings per week during the late summer.
The garden concluded its growing season on October 26, 2026.

Culture Shift

This project aligns with the USDA's community garden food distribution programs by prioritizing fresh nutritional access for local residents. It reflects a growing societal shift toward local food sovereignty and hyper-local charitable supply chains.

Residents served by local pantries, including Coordinated Assistance Ministries and Howard Haven, will see a consistent supply of fresh, locally grown vegetables. The reliance on volunteers means the garden relies on ongoing community involvement to maintain its current scale.

The takeaway

Maintaining a volunteer-run garden requires stable partnerships between academic institutions and local agricultural experts. Organizers have committed to keeping the site at its current half-acre size to ensure the operation remains sustainable for the core team.