Billings Parks and Recreation staff propose that Council accept a $5,000 donation from Bright n’ Beautiful for a greenhouse at the Amend Park Community Garden.  The Lowe's Community Foundation awarded the $5,000 to Bright n’ Beautiful in cooperation with the Parks Department.  The greenhouse will be used by participants at the Amend Park Community Garden to start plants earlier in the season for their garden plots.  The greenhouse will also be used as an education tool by the Parks Department to engage local schools in hands-on learning about gardening.  Lastly, the greenhouse will be used by non-profit agencies that assist in maintaining the communal areas of the Amend Park Community Garden by starting seeds to be grown in the communal plots. 

↵City Council may:

• Approve and accept the $5,000 from Bright n’ Beautiful for the Amend Park Community Garden Greenhouse, or,
• Not accept the grant and give staff additional guidance..

The financial impact of accepting the greenhouse is limited to staff time is assembling the interior shelving and irrigation system at the greenhouse.  The $5,000 grant covers the cost of the greenhouse along with basic materials such as soils, pots and seeds. 

In 2014, The Billings Parks and Recreation Department, in conjunction with the Billings Metro VISTA Project opened Billings’ first city-owned community garden at Amend Park. The Department recognized the benefits of a community garden, including education, empowerment and food security. The garden received a citation of merit award from the Montana Trails, Recreation and Parks Association for Agency Excellence in 2015.  The garden has 44 plots ranging in size from 10’ x 10’ to 20’ x 20’.  Additionally, there are four raised beds that are 3’ x 6’.  In 2015, the gardeners harvested over 2000 lbs of produce.  The garden served clients of all ages, income levels and gardening experience.