Pocatello took a step toward expanding access to fresh produce and green space Friday when city officials joined community partners to break ground on the city’s first official community garden, a one-acre plot situated at North Arthur Avenue and King Street. The site is expected to be ready for planting by next April, and organizers say it could be the first of many.
Portneuf Valley Partners, the Pocatello-Chubbuck Chamber of Commerce, and local officials all participated in the ceremony marking the occasion. Portneuf Valley Partners will lease the land from the city at a cost of just one dollar per year, and the organization has outlined an ambitious vision to eventually establish a network of community gardens spanning both Pocatello and Chubbuck.
A Legacy That Planted the Seed
The new garden carries with it a piece of local history. Nearly a decade ago, a young woman named Lexi Jorgenson quietly built and maintained a community garden of her own at Constitution Park, constructing planter boxes largely by hand with help from family members. For roughly 10 years, she kept the garden going largely on her own, even as she went on to study at Idaho State University. At some point, the city removed the planter boxes and restored the area to grass — an ending that went without formal recognition at the time.
The organizers of the new garden moved to change that. A dedicated section of the North Arthur Avenue site will be designated “Lexi’s Garden” in her honor, acknowledging the years of quiet, individual effort she put into cultivating community green space before anyone else stepped in.
Portneuf Valley Partners board member Brittani Hobson spoke to Jorgenson’s contribution, noting that she grew plants for roughly a decade, almost entirely on her own, driven by a genuine belief in the value of shared garden space.
Plots, Partnerships, and Community Obligations
The garden’s first phase will include 35 individual plots, with plans to add another 30 as the project develops. Demand has already outpaced supply — a waiting list is in place even before the site is open for planting, a sign of the interest Pocatello residents have in the project.
Four of the planter boxes will be set aside specifically for the Idaho Food Bank, directing a portion of the garden’s output toward food assistance efforts in the region. That detail reflects one of the underlying goals of the project: expanding access to locally grown produce not just for gardeners, but for the broader community.
Participants who lease a plot will be expected to contribute at least eight hours of community service at the garden each season — a requirement designed to keep the space maintained and foster a sense of shared ownership among those who use it.
Hobson drew on her time living in Seattle, where she observed how community gardens could take root in different neighborhoods and serve residents across a city. She said the long-term vision extends well beyond this single location. “If there’s other places around town in different neighborhoods where we can help start these community gardens and have more than just one … we really want to spread it throughout this valley and have more available,” she said.
The initiative connects with broader efforts to strengthen local community ties in Pocatello and Chubbuck. Residents who enjoy outdoor activities along the Portneuf corridor — like the Poky Paddle event on the Portneuf River — and those engaged in agricultural programming like the growing 4-H program in Bannock County represent a natural audience for community-driven green space projects like this one.
What Comes Next
With the groundbreaking complete, Portneuf Valley Partners will move forward with site preparation to meet the April planting target. Those interested in reserving a plot can expect to join the existing waiting list, as demand has already exceeded the number of plots available in the first phase. The organization’s stated goal of establishing multiple community gardens across Pocatello and Chubbuck means future sites could be identified and developed as momentum builds. City officials participating in Friday’s event signaled support for the broader expansion vision, and additional garden locations may be announced as planning progresses.