Specialty Crop

A strong community effort led to the construction of a geodome greenhouse at Lira Park in 2023, and the initial planting got underway in spring 2024. The geodome is the first phase of the new Lingle Community Garden at the park. It allows community residents to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, including pollinators.

“The idea started at my own house when I didn’t find a great spot to put a garden,” said Lingle Assistant Town Supervisor Logan Dailey, who spearheaded the community project. That happened after he learned about the community garden in Fort Laramie (see listing above). He also visited with several local residents who wanted to garden, but couldn’t because of their rental housing situation. “I decided I wanted to start a garden for the whole community in Lingle,” Dailey told the Lingle Guide newspaper.

After receiving a thumbs-up from the Lingle Town Council, Dailey launched a project to turn the idea into reality. The town received grant funding for the geodome, and then numerous people stepped forward to help build the structure, including students and teacher John Gibson from Lingle-Fort Laramie High School. The students learned many aspects about a building project, everything from calling Wyoming811 prior to digging (https://www.onecallofwyoming.com/) to working as a team. Instrumental in the construction was Jeff Edwards with the University of Wyoming Extension, who has helped other communities in the state with similar projects. Structures like geodomes and high tunnels (aka hoop houses) extend the growing season by at least two months in the spring and fall. Still, over the years, people like Edwards have learned that geodomes stand up to Wyoming’s weather better than rectangular hoop houses and similar structures.

“I just can’t express all the help I’ve had through this,” “Dailey told the Lingle Guide. “I was lucky enough to know the right people to call, and then it was, ‘Hey, we are going to be here building next week.’ Bam! And then we were on it.”