The Chain O’ Lakes Correctional Facility (COL) in Albion recently hosted a garden tour for the National Association County of Agricultural Agents.

The National Association County of Agricultural Agents were in Fort Wayne for their annual conference and were offered a tour Chain O' Lakes Correctional Facility. While at COL they were served fresh veggies along with homemade salsa made from the produce grown at the facility garden. Since 2010 COL has partnered with Purdue Extension which teaches a training through the Noble County Mater Gardner’s Association. The classroom training is done in the winter months. The volunteers return during planting session to assist with maintaining and harvesting the produce.

Chain O’ Lakes Correctional Facility has been donating produce to the Central Noble Food Pantry for the past nine years from the facility garden. This year to date, Chain O’ Lakes has delivered 3,577.14 pounds of produce to the Central Noble Food Pantry. Items included kale, Swiss chard, lettuce and kohlrabi along with the standard garden staples like tomato (5 varieties), green beans, zucchini and all types of peppers. This is the first year donations of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli were made. In past years local groundhogs favored these items and ate them before they could be picked.

The Central Noble Food Pantry was established in 1994 at the suggestion of a Central Noble Student. The first location was at the Noble House with a closet as storage for the products being distributed. The pantry has continued to grow to where they are today.