COEUR d'ALENE - It all began with a seed of thought.

That seed sprouted into a luscious community garden that was created from three vacant lots at the corner of 10th Street and Foster Avenue in Coeur d'Alene.

Volunteers came to the Shared Harvest Community Garden to weed, clean, build and water the growing things Sunday while preparing for Dinner Under the Stars, the annual fundraiser for the garden. The event raises money for things necessary to maintain the garden, such as materials, electricity, water, insurance and property taxes.

"It basically keeps us going," said Shared Harvest's president and coordinator Kim Normand, of Coeur d'Alene. Normand, the "garden fairy," said the garden's mission is pretty simple.

"It's growing, learning and giving," she said.

Part of the education is caring for something and watching it grow, an experience Normand finds valuable, especially for children.

"Some of these kids have never seen a seed grow," she said. "So they get to see it come from the start to the finish, and they get to pick that produce, and then they get to eat it, and they get to figure out what it is, they've never tried it before. I think that's a really important thing."

For five years, the growers of the Shared Harvest Community Garden have given organic fruits and vegetables back to the community. The garden is connected to Roots Local Food Share and Kootenai Environmental Alliance, and together they provide fresh produce to area food assistance facilities.

Just last week, the 60-plot patch of land produced 290 pounds of food for food banks, soup kitchens and transitional shelters. The garden's carbon footprint is small, because the produce is delivered via bicycle or cart.

And it's not just about the plants and flowers. It's also about the people.

"It's been a wonderful, wonderful way to meet our neighbors and stay in touch with our little community area, said Marci Wing, of Coeur d'Alene. Wing is an art instructor who has helped coordinate garden art projects in the past. She said the Shared Harvest Community Garden is a special place.

"Life gets really hectic and it's just such a peaceful environment," she said. "It is a contemplative space that you can come and sit and just think about life, reflect, and then have an opportunity to meet new people."

The garden's season is usually from March to October, with donations happening every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30.

Dinner Under the Stars takes place Aug. 17 beginning at 6 p.m. in the garden.

"We light up the garden and put it all together," said Art Boyman, co-coordinator of the event. "We get a good crowd. This place will be full."

The dinner will include fire dancers, a silent auction and blackened salmon. Tickets are $25 and available at the Art Spirit Gallery, Java on Sherman and Fray on Fourth Street.

Also coming up at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 is the free play "Milo's Garden," which is about a garden cat and includes gnomes and fairies. It was written by one of Shared Harvest's board members.

Although individuals can't really just stroll into the garden and pluck whatever they want, they can visit local food assistance establishments to enjoy the produce.

Info: www.facebook.com/SharedHarvest or call Normand 664-0608 or Boyman 755-3320.

Press intern Emilie White contributed to this article.