Big changes are in store for the Altona Community Garden this year.

Town council has given Altona Community Action Network (ACAN) its blessing to implement a new vision for the garden with the goal of providing improved organization for the soil patch.

ACAN recently formed a three-member task force that will provide direction, organization, and expertise to local gardeners of all kinds.

The task force members are Jason Peters, Joel Marten and Jack Heppner who have experience in general agronomy, composting and organic gardening.

"ACAN has been around for about two or three years, but we've reorganized and we have a bank account and we're taking donations, so this is one step forward in our efforts to run the garden for the citizens of the community," said Heppner. "We have every reason to believe it will be a success and we're quite excited about it."

The task force has a number of changes it wants to implement to improve the community garden experience for everyone participating this year. One of those changes includes redesigning the garden to create smaller plots.

"Last year the plots were quite large, about 1,800 square feet and we noticed that quite a few people only used a part of it and the rest went to weeds. We're thinking smaller plots will be more manageable and if people want something larger they can acquire additional plots," said Heppner.

Heppner said the garden design they're planning to roll out will also have a number of other features including an area where local gardeners can congregate and visit when taking a break from working the soil.

Heppner expects the task force will need to raise some funds in order to pay for some of these new features and will be looking to the community for some help.

Last year the community garden developed a problem with weeds growing in some plots that weren't being tended to properly and Heppner says they hope to change that. He suggested that situation is due to a simple lack of gardening knowledge.

"It's a generational problem really. In my experience, I find people in their 20s often don't have a clue about how to garden. So, we actually want to make ourselves available to kind of coach people ... to help them get a garden started, nurtured and eventually reap the benefits of that work. People who are committed to their gardens are committed to keeping their plots clean and a small plot can be kept clean very easily with a hand hoe."

Gardening is all about working with the earth and creating community, according to Heppner.

"When you bring gardeners together who are working side by side and producing fruitage, then you have a happy bunch of people. We want the community garden to be a happy place and we're determined to keep it cleaned up and looking neat."