DUNNING — The Dunning Community Garden is in the midst of celebrating its third harvest.
The garden was founded in 2013 by Dunning resident Rita Lavin, who was determined to turn the vacant piece of land sandwiched between Wright Community College's parking garage and a city sanitation facility into a hub of life.
Forty-four raised garden beds were planted at 6532 W. Berteau Ave., and tended to both Dunning residents and college students as well as a group of Bhutanese refugees affiliated with the Global Garden Refugee Training Farm, Lavin said.
"They live near our garden and are so happy to have a place nearby to farm," Lavin said.
In addition, the garden added a shed, and now has a dedicated water source, Lavin said.
The Chicago City Council spent $240,000 collected from developers who built on what was once open land to clean up the land and build the garden.
Part of that money was used to excavate and fill in tunnels under the garden that were connecting various buildings of the former Chicago Read Mental Hospital, which was torn down decades ago, Lavin said.
Part of the community garden is designated as the Giving Garden, which grows produce specifically for non-profit organizations. The Sunshine Activity Center, a nearby adult day care facility, received several truckloads of fruits and vegetables from the Giving Garden, Lavin said
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