AMHERST - It's safe to say that animals aren't the culprits behind some recent vandalism at the Amherst community garden.
Project chair Lisa Emery said the damage that occurred over a period of less than two days was an act of vandals.
"Thankfully we do have a lot of food that's growing, but there is damage to almost all of the plots," Emery said Wednesday morning at the site off East Pleasant Street.
"Someone smashed zucchini and squash, and destroyed some tomato plants and the tomatoes. There's a plot of beans that was ripped up and there was paint poured all over some other plants."
The damage to the garden was noticed by a user of the project Tuesday morning. With many of the gardeners working on their plots on Sunday, Emery said the damage was done between Sunday night and Tuesday morning.
"Anything that has been destroyed can't be replanted," she said, noting cabbages had been smashed.
There are also some onions and carrots that were taken from the plots and haven't been found.
Emery said that when the gardens were first planted this year, a number of potato plants had been dug up. At the time, however, there was still plenty of time in the season to start the potatoes over.
"After that, we've had someone actually cut out cabbage plants with a knife," Emery said, adding the cabbage was probably taken home then to be eaten. "There's a difference between someone vandalizing the garden and someone taking the food to use.
During the gardening season, it takes time for each of the vegetables to grow and ripen before they can be consumed.
"It's disappointing," Emery said about the vandalism. "Especially to see the food not eaten, but damaged. It's thoughtless vandalism.
"These may not be precious items as some people would call them, but for someone that can't afford fresh vegetables, it is a precious item."
Of the food that has been planted, Emery said much of what isn't used at the end of the summer gets donated to the local food bank. Some has even gone to Maggie's Place for distribution.
Since the vandalism was discovered, Emery has removed all the paint from the site. Although the paint is usually locked in the shed, Emery said a couple of bottles must have been left out.
A hose nozzle was damaged, but she said that's an easy fix and will have a new one at the site before the weekend.
During the garden's first year last year, vandals left the site alone.
Now, Emery has asked the local police department to look into upping the patrols in the area.
Amherst Police Chief Charlie Rushton said the department will have more of a presence in the area after Emery contacted him with concerns, but wouldn't say what type of presence that would be.
He's also calling on the public's assistance if they see anything out of the ordinary.
"From residents in the area, as well as those growing in the garden," Rushton said, adding it would be helpful from the growers because they would know who would be in there and who wouldn't.
"These types of things are normally attributed to young people and they may not realize the seriousness of their actions," he added. "They may not know that they're taking food off the table for someone and they may consider it more of a prank."
Rushton also said that parents should have a talk with their children about the type of negativity actions such as this could create.
A meeting for all the garden users is planned for Friday at 1 p.m. to further discuss the issue.
As a stro1zng supporter of this garden project it is my hope those responsible will come forward and I would encourage them to call me - hopefully with an apology and a way to rectify this problem - this garden project is important not only to the community but as an initiative on co operation and community partnership. As they say, "stand up and be counted".