By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Jun 06, 2016 at 4:17 PM

The Clarke Square Community Garden, located at 2125 W. Scott St. is celebrating the launch of gardening season with a Garden Kick-off event, garden plots and two free gardening classes for those who'd like to learn more about gardening.

The Garden Kick-Off Party takes place at the gardens on Wednesday, June 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. During the event, attendees can enjoy a variety of grilled foods, along with gardening fun. Best of all, the kick-off is free and open to all, with an emphasis on cross-cultural community building in the Clarke Square neighborhood.

Community garden plots at Clarke Square are available for $5 each, while they last. Each garden plot comes with free compost, free starter plants and free gardening tools. 

Not sure you know how to garden? That's not a problem. Thanks to a partnership with Clarke Park Neighborhood Nights Out, there will also be two free gardening classes taught by master gardeners, which will cover the basics from planting seeds to harvesting vegetables. The classes will be held at the Clarke Park Pavilion on June 15 and June 22 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

For more information, or to sign up for a plot or classes, contact Ryan Schone at (414) 256-4653 or by email at ryan.schone@ces.uwex.edu.

The Clarke Square Neighborhood Garden is made possible by the UW-Extension, Milwaukee County SEED initiative, the Clarke Square Neighborhood Association, Journey House, Pete's Fruit Market and Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.