Specialty Crop

Donna and John Miller grow a wide variety of fresh produce in raised beds on two vacant lots in Midwest, and then donate the produce to community residents, including those in need.

“When we started spending our summers in Midwest in the mid-1990s, we learned that quite a number of people in the community didn’t have access to fresh produce,” Donna says. “At the same time, we wanted to help beautify the community so we purchased some lots that had unoccupied dilapidated buildings on them and tore them down.” One of those lots now has eight 12- by 12-foot raised beds for produce, and another lot has 12 raised beds, each measuring 4- by 8-feet. There are also pollinator gardens adjacent to the raised beds.

From early summer through fall, fresh produce is put on a bench adjacent to the Midwest Post Office, and it’s available to residents for free pick-up. Residents can check the Salt Creek Classifieds or Town of Midwest Facebook pages for updates.

The Millers, with occasional help from others, grow pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, green beans, beets, Swiss chard, lettuce, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, and other vegetables and fruits. The couple, who spent their careers in secondary education, enjoy hosting school field trips. The gardens produce more than 100 pumpkins annually, and every student who tours the gardens are able to take a pumpkin home.

The Millers have helped the community in other ways, too. One year, for example, Donna, with assistance from others, collected about 130 tires that had been discarded around Midwest and took them to Casper for recycling. They also constructed a planter box around the Town of Midwest welcome sign and planted Russian sage, which is not only a beautiful perennial but provides outstanding habitat for pollinators.

In each of the towns they’ve lived, they have been active in community service. For example, while residing in Green River in the 1970s and ’80s, they were Scout leaders and also helped to organize community clean-ups. Gardening has followed the couple wherever they’ve lived, and Donna, who has raised fresh produce since she was a child, is happy that she can share the fruits of her labor with the residents of Midwest.

“We really welcome volunteers who want to help with the gardens,” she says.