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FLORENCE – A small plot of land located in the community of Randolph will soon become a large garden that will supply local food banks and non-profit entities with fresh vegetables.
The property, once a county park, will be leased to the non-profit corporation Future Forward Foundation, Incorporated for a sum of $1.00 a year. The lease scheduled to expire in 2025 with three five-year renewal periods.
“The park parcel was in a state of disrepair,” stated Kent Taylor, Pinal County’s Open Space and Trails Director. “I heard a presentation from the corporation at a Copper Corridor Economic Development meeting regarding their gardening projects. I contacted them to tell them about a couple of park parcels that were underutilized. It seems like the perfect opportunity to partner with this group to give them a space to set up a garden.”
According to the terms of the lease, the county will make some minor repairs to the site to provide electricity and water to the property before the Future Forward Foundation takes over.
Once the group takes over, they will be responsible for improvements to the site and a majority of the costs associated with maintenance and utility usage.
“I am hoping that this will be a very fruitful partnership, not only for the county, but for the non-profits and food banks that will benefit from their harvests,” said Vice-Chairman Pete Rios, whose District 1 is in the area that has the new garden site.
All that is left of Randolph Park is the one basketball goal. Soon there will be vegetables and trees grown on this site.
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