A new gardening program is taking root at the county jail.
Sheriff Travis Hakes says a secure outdoor area at the jail was recently converted into a garden as part of a new inmate education program. The project was made possible through community donations, with Arrow Building Center in Chippewa Falls providing lumber and screws for the garden beds, while Down to Earth donated gardening supplies and plants.
Because of those donations, the program was launched at minimal cost to taxpayers.
Participation is currently limited to a small number of inmates to maintain facility security. The program focuses on teaching gardening skills and harvesting produce grown at the jail.
Hakes says the goal is to provide inmates with practical knowledge they can use after returning to the community, while also supplying a limited amount of fresh produce for those housed at the facility.
