OAK GROVE — Comet Grove, Oak Grove’s community garden, is flourishing with four acres of vegetables including corn, peppers, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, eggplant, squash, and green beans that are being distributed to those in need in the community.

Located on the former Zeigler Christmas Tree Farm, Hunter Morgan, the garden community intern, said the garden has been going strong.

Morgan said the garden started distributing produce on July 8 and has since handed out more than 1,800 pounds of vegetables to low to moderate income families and individuals in the Oak Grove and outlining communities.

Those who have a need for the produce are encouraged to go to the Care House in Sylacauga and apply for vouchers. Anyone who qualifies will receive four vouchers each month that can be taken to the garden weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. and redeemed for a bag of vegetables.

Those not eligible for vouchers can go to the garden and take home one gallon of vegetables for every two picked. If produce is left over, the bags that are prepared for those with vouchers will be sold on-site for $5 Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m.

“The garden has gone great,” said Carolyn Zeigler, volunteer coordinator for the garden. “We feel like we have given away a lot of free vegetables to the needy. We’ve had something to give to everyone that has been out.”

If excess vegetables are available from your home grown garden, Comet Grove would love to have them to help those in need throughout the community. Also, the need for volunteers is strong.

“Without additional volunteers it will be too much for a handful of people,” Morgan said.

Volunteers are needed daily and all donations are appreciated. Call Morgan at 256-438-0758 or Zeigler at 256-391-6590 or stop by if you are interested in volunteering.

Garden meetings take place every Thursday at 6 p.m. in the barn. The weekly meetings are a time for fellowship with others in the community as well as a time to receive updates about the garden.

“Everyone is welcome to attend,” Morgan said. “Everyone loves to see new faces each week. New people are welcome and they will receive warm Oak Grove hospitality.”

Zeigler said they have been fortunate to have something to give everybody and plans are being discussed to continue the garden through the fall.

“We just now have okra coming in,” she said. “I hope I have enough volunteers to keep it going until the vegetables last. We still have some new plants that are coming along. We plan to have a fall garden if we can get volunteers to help.”

Contact Lindsey Holland at lholland@dailyhome.com