Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Community comes together to make a 'victory garden'

NORTH CANAAN — It was a conversation many people were having over the winter, for many reasons. For some, it was news reports of soaring food prices. For others it was concerns about non-organic produce. And then of course there were those who simply wanted a chance for exercise and fresh air.

Whatever the reason, many residents of Station Place in North Canaan are among those who will be “growing their own� this summer.

The Gardeners at Station Place is a project that was born out of a chat between Art Cross and Dennis Swett, next-door neighbors in the 37-unit apartment complex in the center of town.

They couldn’t use the courtyard lawn; that’s where the kids play ball. But there was the old railroad bed on the property’s southern edge. The east/west rail line has long been abandoned, even by the old cabooses that used to be stored there.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The tracks were still there and the soil was full of coal residue from the trains,� said Cross, a retired soil scientist.

But with seven families signed on as gardeners and a promise from LeRoy Riva of C.A. Lindell, which owns the property, that they could use the land, they forged ahead.

It turned out that Riva’s offer came bundled with plenty of help. That set the tone for what has become a real community effort.

“It was incredible how everyone pitched in and donated labor and materials,� Swett said. “We barely had to ask.�

Leading the way was George Reinholt, who works for Lindell Fuels.

“Not only did Lindell’s send him over during the day, he came after work and on weekends until the job was done,� Swett said.

Reinholt used heavy equipment  from Lindell’s to rip out the tracks. Soil was donated by Lindell’s, O’Connor Bros. Inc. and M.F. Mulville and Sons Inc. Dennis Jasmine, a Falls Village farmer, took time out of his busy spring schedule to deliver a donation of a load of manure. Laurelbrook Farm donated a load of composted manure.

Mark Burdick, a Falls Village farmer who teaches in the agriculture education department at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, came out with a crew of students and a tractor to till the new soil, remove railroad ties and build a wide set of steps up to the garden.

The town of North Canaan brought in a load of wood chips and the Station Place gardeners happily spread them on pathways between the plots.

It will be a well-drained, sunny site, perfect for the wide variety of vegetables planned by families who will reside over 12-by-25-foot plots. And if Mother Nature cooperates, they’ll be eating well in the neighborhood.

Latest News

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

Let's Hear It - September 17, 2026

This Week

As summer comes to an end and the days begin to get a little cooler, signs of fall are starting to appear all around us. The leaves are beginning to change, the evenings are getting shorter, and a new season of activities and traditions is just around the corner.

Keep ReadingShow less

$5,000

$5,000

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Letters to the Editor - September 17, 2026

Put $1M to work for housing affordability

If I had $1 million to improve housing affordability in Litchfield County, I would create a revolving Housing Opportunity Fund. Instead of spending the entire amount on one or two homes, I would use it to help local housing trusts acquire land or properties, provide down-payment assistance for qualified buyers, convert appropriate existing buildings into housing, and help cover some of the upfront costs that can prevent good housing projects from ever getting started.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Turning Back the Pages - September 17, 2026

125 years ago — September 1901

LIME ROCK — Matthew Patterson recently received a silver medal from the Canadian government as a token of his services during the Fenian raid in ‘71. The medal is suitably inscribed and is considerably heavier than a silver dollar. It depends from a silk tri-color and pin, and altogether makes a very neat souvenir.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from our community about the housing we need for a healthy, vibrant future

Jordan Seibert and Riley Bossi

Shelly Dinelle

There’s a reason people say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To thrive, a child needs a safe, stable place to call home. That’s the bedrock for health, dignity, and the chance to build a bright future. What kind of “village” does it take to create these homes?

Motivated by compassion and a drive to make housing more accessible, it took the Foundation for Norfolk Living years of hard work to create ten affordable homes at Haystack Woods. The “village” turned out to be a patchwork of support that included financial help from the DOH, a construction mortgage through Northwest Community Bank, and a Community Development Block Grant to purchase the property and pay for the road and infrastructure. The result? Two- and three-bedroom homes reserved for first-time homebuyers earning 60-80% of Litchfield County’s median income, and selling for $159,000 to $261,000. The condominium homes are deed-restricted and net-zero thanks to energy-efficient construction, solar panels, and battery storage, meaning the homebuyers will have no energy costs! Curious? Just Google “Haystack Woods” to learn more. It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Selectmen back $113,000 request for new ambulance

FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen approved a request from the Fire Commission for $113,000 toward a new ambulance scheduled for delivery in November.

The selectmen acted during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.