In Kingston, a once-empty plot of land has been transformed into a thriving community garden. This initiative is not only a step towards combating food insecurity but also a hub for learning and exploration.
Among the first visitors to this green space were local Girl Scouts, 4-H groups, and students from Jenny Lynn Elementary.
“I love gardening,” expressed eight-year-old Madilyn Simonovich, eager to see tomatoes grow at the Green Neighbors Network garden. This space provides free produce to locals and hosts events that teach about food origins, sustainability, and gardening.
Green Neighbors Network
Jayanne Czerniakowski, driven by her dedication to sustainability and a love for gardening, founded the nonprofit Green Neighbors Network and its community garden. Established in 2025, the organization aims to provide outdoor recreation and education on eco-friendly practices.
Czerniakowski’s journey began with hosting a community clean-up event, which sparked her granddaughter Ayonna’s curiosity about gardening.
Czerniakowski recalled, “Last year, I got three kids’ blue pools from [Facebook] Marketplace and poked some holes in them and put some garden soil in it. And then I was like, maybe we should do a community garden, and then it just kind of spiraled from there.”
She enlisted the help of board members such as Jessica Miller from Luzerne.
“I’ve known Jayanne for over 25 years,” Miller mentioned. “She is always calling me for gardening advice. I’m a huge gardener, have been for a long time.”
Alex Crossley, another board member, noted she is “not yet” a gardener. She became involved after seeing the project on Facebook and visiting with her daughters. Crossley also contributed by painting a panel on the garden’s fence, each of which was crafted by a local artist.
“Just being here and being a part of the art, and then being a part of the whole construction of getting the garden started from the ground up has really been awesome and life-changing,” Crosswell shared. “I love the connections and the knowledge I’m gaining.”
How it works
Volunteers, including nine-year-old Ava Kamback, are actively preparing the garden for its inaugural summer by planting warm-season crops.
Ava explained, “We pull up the weeds, we plant, and we make some mud balls. It’s mud with seeds in the middle, and once it rains, the mud goes away and then the seeds go into the soil, and it plants wildflowers.”
While some crops thrive in cooler weather and are already being harvested, the garden also hosts educational activities like plant swaps. Local groups like the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and 4-H maintain their respective garden beds.
“The Girl Scouts have an assigned bed, the Boy Scouts will have an assigned bed, and 4H will have an assigned bed,” Czerniakowski noted.
Plans are underway to add buildings for storage and restrooms on the property. A nearby farmstand will offer free produce throughout the summer.
“We’re not going to have the public picking [produce],” Czerniakowski clarified. “So we’ll pick when it’s time to harvest… and then people are free to come and take whatever it is they need.”
What are they planting?
The garden comprises more than a dozen berry bushes with plans to plant donated fruit trees soon. Tomatoes, in particular, are a focus due to a national shortage, along with unique crops like cucamelons and spoon tomatoes.
Board member Miller stated, “We’re hoping to do a lot of tomatoes. But I think just putting as much as possible of everything in there, even like the really cool looking things that people don’t normally think of or even see in the stores. We want to do a lot of that.”
Chavah Granovetter added, “We’re doing cucamelons… They look like teeny weeny watermelons. We’re doing spoon tomatoes, which are really, really tiny. You can fit about eight of them on a teaspoon. We’re putting some fun stuff in with the practical. Just everyone needs more whimsy.”
Chip Granovetter, Chavah’s eight-year-old son, looks forward to growing and sharing yellow watermelon, describing it as sweeter and more flavorful than regular watermelon.
