FAIRHOPE, Ala. — After a rainy couple days late last week threatened weekend plans, the weather cooperated Saturday for the groundbreaking and planting of the city’s first youth community garden at the Fairhope-Point Clear Rotary Youth Club.

“The youth garden was a huge success, with perfect weather and lots of happy kids,” said Elaine Snyder-Conn, of the Local Food Production Initiative, a nonprofit group that raised funds and organized the cooperative venture with the Rotary Youth Club and the Baldwin County Master Gardeners.

About 20 children participated in the event, which included preparing two raised garden beds and planting them with winter vegetables. Most of the children are members of the Rotary Youth Club and attend after-school and other programs and activities there.

“After the kids laid down newspaper in the beds to cover the grass — a method called ‘lasagna gardening’ — they shoveled and mixed mulched compost and fertilizer to create two 4-by-12-foot-by-12-inch-high beds,” Conn said. “They then planted the beds with collards, kale, radishes, cabbages, tender mustard and many other vegetables.”

The frames for the bed were built by Gary Gover of the LFPI, with materials donated by the NFL Building Center in Daphne. Gover and other LFPI members hauled several cubic yards of composted mulch to the site, Conn said.

The LFPI funded the purchase of the seeds, plants, soil, supplies and other materials with a grant obtained from the Gulf Coast Resource and Development Council. Debbie Calhoun, of Master Gardeners, developed the planting scheme and organized the event, with the help of other Master Gardeners, LFPI and Ecumenical Ministries members.

A cookout followed the event, with Charles Durgin, the Rotary Youth Club director, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for all the children and volunteers, with satsumas donated by Bee Natural Farm.

“The kids seemed to be very enthusiastic, and they all worked hard shoveling and planting the beds,” Conn said. “Debbie and other members of Master Gardeners will now provide a weekly instructional program on gardening at the Rotary Youth Club, so that kids can learn about soil, plants, vegetable gardening and preparation.”