CHEO Garden Springs Back to Life With Help From C-CAP, Volunteers, and Master Gardeners

The CHEO Garden — short for Citizens Helping Each Other — is coming back stronger this season, thanks to renewed community support, better fencing, and some expert help from Virginia Extension Master Gardeners. After a tough year in 2023, where critters ate much of the harvest, the garden team is determined to grow more produce and feed more families in 2025.

On a recent visit to the Royal Examiner studio, Fern Vazquez introduced the team now leading the effort: Joanne Royaltey, a representative of the Master Gardeners; Joanne Koszyk, Executive Director of C-CAP; and Alan Thompson, a committed volunteer helping rebuild the garden fence.

“This is truly a community garden, and this year it’s officially under the C-CAP umbrella,” Koszyk said. “We’re not just growing food for C-CAP clients — the goal is to share the produce with the entire community in need.”

The garden, located on Luray Drive in Front Royal, has produced over 13,000 pounds of vegetables since 2020. But last year, an invasion of hungry animals wiped out much of the crop. This season, that’s changing.

Volunteer Alan Thompson shared that a 400-foot fence is being installed — six feet high to keep out deer and with a deep trench barrier to block digging pests like groundhogs. “We’re putting in a fence below and above ground,” Thompson explained. “Between the two, we hope to stop the varmints this year.”

The fence project is set to wrap up this week, with the biggest workday scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. Volunteers are needed to help refill the trench. “Bring a shovel, and you’ll be part of something that really makes a difference,” Vazquez said.

Master Gardener Joanne Royaltey explained how the Virginia Cooperative Extension is involved this season by providing guidance and training. “We’re not taking on the garden as an official project, but we are offering advice on planting, conservation, and water-wise gardening,” she said.

The garden will use drip irrigation to conserve water, and Master Gardeners will support the team in using proven, research-based methods. “We don’t rely on garden myths or old wives’ tales,” Royaltey added. “We’re here to improve the quality of life in our community through education and better gardening practices.”

Koszyk emphasized how important fresh produce is for C-CAP and other food assistance programs in Warren County. “Our freezers are often low on fruits and vegetables,” she said. “We’re part of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank’s Healthy Pantry Initiative, which means we’re working to provide healthier options — but buying produce regularly just isn’t in our budget.”

Thanks to a grant from the food bank, C-CAP has purchased an extra cooler to store garden produce. Once harvest begins, the plan is to share it not only with C-CAP clients but with other agencies as well.

This season’s crops will focus on community favorites like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, onions, and green beans — plants that produce heavily and are easy to share. “We’ve narrowed it down to what people really want and what grows well in our soil,” said Vazquez.

Two important workdays are coming up: garden prep on Saturday, May 3, and planting on Saturday, May 10, both starting around 9 a.m. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. “You don’t have to commit all summer,” Vazquez said. “Just come when you can. Bring gloves and a trowel, and you’ll be part of something good.”

The garden sits on land owned by St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, and the church has graciously allowed the garden to continue. “Father Gee has been incredibly supportive,” Vazquez said. “He even enjoys gardening himself.”

Master Gardeners, longtime volunteers, first-time helpers — everyone is coming together to make this garden thrive again. “You don’t just grow vegetables,” Vazquez said. “You grow community, and you see that most when you’re standing in the garden surrounded by people who care.”