Andrea Searles & Bo Garrison | I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden

Andrea Searles & Bo Garrison

I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden

Austell, Cobb County

The I.T. and Lodemia Terrell Community Garden is the City of Austell’s first community garden. It was dedicated to Irvin Tomas and Lodemia Terrell who were known for giving away fruits and vegetables from their garden. The community garden is now where their former home and garden plot were located. After the 2009 flood that covered the property in 15 ft of water, no structures could be built on the flood land so the city decided to create a space for residents to convene in nature.

The community garden has evolved since its creation in 2012 to accommodate over 40 gardening plots that are free to Austell residents, a greenhouse, an outdoor stage to host events, and nature trails. Andrea Searles (pictured right) is a Cobb County Master Gardener and HABESHA Works graduate, which is a program that teaches organic agriculture and agro-business development. She helps manage the community garden and remembers the early days: “When we started we didn’t have a budget at all, and then I happened to see Food Well Alliance’s grant. That was the first time we went for funding. Food Well was the first to contribute to us.”

Over the years, Food Well has helped support Austell’s community garden with grants to upgrade their greenhouse, install new raised beds, and build a 3-bin compost system. They were also a 2022 Orchard Project recipient. 

“The support and partnership of Food Well Alliance is pivotal to us,” said Mayor Ollie Clemons. “It’s actually monumental because we’re on a smaller budget. We’re the smallest city in Cobb County, so our budget doesn’t expand as much as it would in other areas. This space doesn’t look like this and isn’t where it is if not for the partnership of Food Well, that’s for sure.”

This year, the garden received one of two $10,000 Garden Forward Grants to install a drip irrigation system. “There's a lot of different ways to irrigate,” said T.J. DiGregorio of Creative Landscape Group and the man in charge of installing the garden’s new irrigation system. “With water conservation in mind and making sure water gets to the soil directly as opposed to being blown or evaporated by the wind and avoiding watering areas where you don't need it, drip irrigation is the most direct way to water things.” 

This will not only save the community garden members and public works staff time but will also save the city money in the long run. The city pays for all the water for the garden. This new system will ensure that water is being used more efficiently and reaches the orchard. “The hose doesn't reach all of the fruit trees,” said Bo Garrison (pictured left), Director of Austell’s Public Works. “You have to tow jugs of water, and it takes hours and hours.”

In addition to the drip irrigation system, they’re installing an overhead sprinkler system for the greenhouse and two more hydrants in the community garden space so members won’t have to go far to water their plants. 

Bo, Andrea, and the City of Austell have big dreams for this space, they want to continue enhancing it, making it a place where residents can come relax and learn in nature. 

“For me your contributions mean everything,” said Bo, when asked about the impact Food Well donors have made. “Without you folks, this doesn’t happen.”