MONTVALE, N.J.—Vegetables and flowers are beginning to sprout in Montvale’s new community garden, which officially opened May 31 at the former DePiero Farm property on Summit Avenue.
The inaugural season features 40 raised garden beds available to residents, but Environmental Commission Chair Robert Hanrahan said plans are already underway to more than double the garden’s size.
“Within a year,” Hanrahan told Pascack Press, the borough expects to expand from 40 plots to 100 by adding 10 beds at the current site and creating a second garden area with 50 additional plots.
The community garden occupies a portion of the 8.4-acre DePiero Farm property purchased by the borough in 2024. Most of the property is leased to D’Agostino Landscaping for agricultural use.
Hanrahan, a member of the Community Garden Committee, said volunteers worked for months to prepare the site, installing raised beds, fencing and gravel pathways.
Each galvanized-steel garden bed measures 8 feet by 4 feet and is filled with certified clean soil suitable for growing vegetables and flowers. Water access is available throughout the site.
The garden is intended to be more than a place to grow produce, Hanrahan said. He emphasized the social benefits of community gardening, noting that residents can meet neighbors, share gardening knowledge and spend time outdoors together. A pavilion for shade and social gatherings is planned for next year.
The project has been years in the making.
Hanrahan said the Environmental Commission had been working for at least a decade to establish a community garden in Montvale.
Students from Pascack Hills High School are expected to maintain one of the garden beds and donate produce to local food pantries.
The community garden is located at 156 Summit Ave., just east of Craig Road.
Meanwhile, residents Matthew Worgul and Matthew Epstein are preparing to open The Montvale Farmstand nearby. The farmstand, expected to open in June, will offer locally grown produce along with coffee and pastries. Officials said a walking path connecting the community garden and farmstand is planned.
Montvale acquired the DePiero Farm property for $5.15 million in August 2024. At the time, borough officials said the preserved farmland would be used for agricultural and community purposes, including a community garden and farmstand.