Those are two of the many feelings that washed over me as I stood and admired the Kansas Bhutanese Community Garden before a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning.
I was blessed to be invited to the official dedication of thoroughly amazing space. I was joined by Commissioner Mike Kane and many other great KCK folks for a neat event. We'll talk more about that in a moment. But first, a little background...
The Prescott neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas is now home to about 125 families who relocated as refugees from Bhutan (a small country that is located northeast of India in South Asia). Difficulties in their home country have forced hundreds of thousands of Bhutanese natives to relocate to other countries around the world, including the United States.
Bhutan is roughly in the center of this Google map.
Click the map to enlarge.
I've underlined the country name on the map.
The garden is located at 323 S. 14th St. and came about through the cooperative efforts of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Cultivate Kansas City, the Kansas Bhutanese Community Foundation and the Unified Government. The land for the community garden was acquired by the group from the Unified Government Land Bank. For those who aren't familiar with the Land Bank, the Unified Government keeps a "bank" of property in Kansas City Kansas that is tax delinquent and/or has been abandoned by its previous owners. Mr. Chris Slaughter works tirelessly with community partners to return those abandoned parcels to productive use.
The garden sits between South 14th St. and Valley St.
just north of I-70
I am a member of the standing committee that approved the transfer of the land from our Land Bank to the Bhutanese community. Since we had just transferred control of the land in April of this year, I wasn't expecting much when I got the invitation to the ribbon cutting. I figured they'd have a fence up and maybe have some plots marked out, but little more.
I couldn't have been more wrong…
What I saw when I arrived was stunning. About an acre and a half of land that was not only fenced and divided into plots, but fully farmed with some of the biggest and healthiest looking plants you'll find in all of the Midwest. Mr. Siwakoti told me that 26 families are currently tending plots and that six more families plan to join them soon. He said that there are 30 more families who have expressed an interest in tending a plot, but they have to clear and prepare more land before that can happen.
Most of the crops being cultivated are the same crops
that you'd find if you visited any garden in Bhutan or Nepal.
I can't put into words how proud I am of everyone who made this happen in Kansas City, Kansas. Thanks to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, Cultivate Kansas City and, especially the Kansas Bhutanese Community Foundation for providing a shining example of the positive things that can be accomplished even under the most difficult of circumstances.
Everywhere I turn it's the same thing… great people doing great things in Kansas City, Kansas. Keep it up everyone!
~ Brian
bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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