Groups collaborate on GT Commons barns

By MELISSA DOMSIC
mdomsic@record-eagle.com

August 15, 2008 12:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- Local groups are making strides in efforts to sprout new life at the Grand Traverse Commons barns with community events, a botanical garden and educational farming.

Brainstorming for the public property near West Silver Lake Road began last January, and now four organizations are working with a combined Traverse City and Garfield Township recreational authority to bring the community's visions to fruition.

"It's been a long process getting to this point, but we're seeing just so many signs of things coming together all at the same time," said Mike Groleau, recreational authority member. "It's exciting."

Recreational authority members are working on bringing utilities to the two historic barns and installing safety aspects, such as fire sprinklers.

The local groups are forming their organizational framework and next will create a master plan. They hope to host a harvest and wine festival this fall, and see more activity by next summer.

Spireworks will provide event management, and The Botanical Garden Society of Northwest Michigan will plant a community garden. Little Artshram will continue educational programs for children and teens that already take place at the site.

"We're trying to build a sustainable education type of plan with the art and environmental and gardening scene," said Penny Krebiehl, Artshram director.

SEEDS, a local nonprofit ecological research and design firm, will manage an educational farming program and make sure property improvements are eco-friendly.

The urban location, historical use of the barns, and the fact that it's public property attracted Sarna Salzman, executive director of SEEDS.

It's been more than 50 years since patients and staff of the former Traverse City State Hospital cultivated the land to produce food.

"We're kind of restoring the sense of feeding the Commons," Salzman said. "It proves that farming doesn't have to happen in a rural area."

A local farmer helped the organizations plant buckwheat on the property about a month ago to keep weeds from taking over the land.

"We've spent all these weeks in meetings at a round table, so it was nice to get something tangible on the ground that we can point to and say, 'Look, we are collaborating,'" Salzman said.