Community Gardening: A Great Way to Eat Healthfully, Share Produce with the Needy, and Protect the Environment
By: Janet Hartin, M.S.
Community gardening is certainly not a new movement, but has recently become more popular than ever before. The economic downturn, an enhanced interest in eating pesticide-free produce, an increasing interest in health and physical fitness, and a blossoming desire for community connection and sharing produce have all contributed to the renewed interest in community gardens.
Did you know that, on average, food travels over thirteen hundred miles from its point of production to a consumer? Growing one’s own food in a backyard or nearby community garden saves energy and helps develop a sense of community among neighbors. Developing, nurturing, harvesting and sharing produce from community gardens is a tangible way to improve the health and climate of both the inner city and suburban communities. In some cities, vacant blighted lots have been transformed into row after row of tomatoes, beans, squash, melons, potatoes, carrots, and herbs creating flourishing greenbelts in an otherwise endless array of concrete, smog, and graffiti.
And, along the way, many gardeners have discovered their own green thumbs; as delicious as home-grown tomatoes and squash are, one family can consume only so many. That’s where the magic of doing something one loves creates a synergism with helping others – another prevailing force – leading to sharing nutritious ripe produce with the needy.
Many community gardeners and home-owners with large backyard gardens are embracing the concept of Plant a Row for the Hungry. The concept is straightforward and simple leading to over 14 million pounds of fresh produce donated to local food pantries and distribution centers by participants in the past 13 years. The program, the brainchild of the Garden Writers of America, has virtually no overhead and no ‘red tape’. At harvest, gardeners share their bountiful crop of vegetables with those in need by bringing their extra produce to drop-off centers in many communities throughout the United States. The program has grown rapidly with over 44 million American households now participating. For more information in the San Diego area, contact Feeding America San Diego, 9151 Rehco Road Suite B, San Diego, California. Phone them at (858) 452-FOOD (3663) or send them a fax: (858) 453-3663.
How can you, as an individual, go about starting a community garden? First, invite ‘like minds’ to an initial brainstorming session. Discuss your enthusiasm for the idea and enlist ideas and assistance from others. An early goal should be to secure a suitable plot of land that is available, in a convenient location, close to a water source, and not liable to be vandalized. Consider talking early-on with a city planner about your idea; there may be a start-up group already forming with a similar idea. Band together whenever feasible. Consider discussing the idea with local churches and schools, as well. Involving a neighborhood group early on in the planning has many advantages, from doling out the work evenly to ensuring early buy in from all involved, which, in turn, helps guarantee success.
This is the perfect time of year to start planning a spring garden. You’ll have several months to enlist the help and permits you’ll likely need and maximize your chances of success acquiring donations of irrigation equipment, compost, and seeds and plants. Start organizing a planning committee and make sure you take advantage of all available talents. For example, even though a neighbor has never planted a garden and has a ‘brown thumb’, he or she just might be at the top of their game in the marketing/public relations world.
Get to know everyone’s talents; spend the first meeting discussing what needs to be done, put together a time-line, and start assigning tasks. Start an e-newsletter and keep everyone regularly informed. If someone doesn’t follow through with an assignment, don’t let it hold the whole project back. Find a backup and move forward on schedule. If you don’t have the time to serve as Garden Coordinator yourself, don’t leave the first meeting without recruiting the right person! That person will ultimately be responsible for keeping things on schedule, finalizing plans, calling meetings, and communicating with the group. It is also a good idea to appoint a treasurer that can be trusted to appropriately handle the financial end.
Make sure that at least two people sign checks and oversee the books to avoid even a perception of wrongdoing. The entire process should be transparent and books should be open at each planning meeting. Other important positions are a general Renaissance person who is good at repairs and familiar with plumbing and electricity. Consider contacting your local University of California Cooperative Extension office and asking if there is a Master Gardener who can provide expert assistance, as well. Enlist local leaders such as neighborhood politicians and other public servants, church leaders, teachers, and administrators. If your next door neighbor is a lawyer, you’re even better off and might even want to start a non-profit organization.
The agenda for the first meeting will be full. A major goal should be to discuss the group’s vision for the garden; this is an important point that should be agreed upon early on. Does the group envision a community garden where equal-sized plots are rented out to neighborhood residents? Does the group prefer that the garden be largely to produce and provide produce for a food bank or for low-income neighbors? In some cases, the garden might be divided into two or more larger segments with different purposes and goals. While a multitude of ideas are feasible, it is crucial for the group to agree early on the specific goals of their particular garden. Next, an organizational structure should be agreed upon, as discussed above.
An initial committee goal will certainly be to find a suitable plot of land. Don’t give up or leave any stone unturned. Also, don’t accept the first free plot of land offered unless it fits the criteria agreed upon by the committee. Water availability, a sunny location, adequate access for entryway and maneuverability are essential. Poor garden soil can be augmented with compost but a lack of sunshine cannot be mitigated.
Stay tuned for the next installment of how you can help your local community create its own successful community garden!
