Cedar Grove delivered compost to the Governor’s mansion to amend the soil for their raised bed vegetable garden before their annual planting in April.

The First Lady originally installed the garden in the spring of 2013, as a way to grow healthy food that could be donated to the local food bank and enjoyed by the local community. Because the garden can’t be maintained by the existing grounds staff with public dollars, the garden’s installation and maintenance is a community effort. Some of the organizations that reap harvests from the garden include the Thurston County Food Bank, the Salvation Army Community Kitchen and the Rainier Valley Food Bank.

The harvest of food is also used for events hosted at the Mansion. The Governor and First Lady hosted a seed planting event on April 29, with local legend Ed Hume providing seeds and instructions to guests on his best tips and tricks for planting seeds.