How to Plan a Community Garden
Our cross country travels have landed us in Vermont. It’s beautiful, cold and Fall is at its end.
Recently, we drove through a little town called Putney and stopped at the local co-op for some food. As my wife went inside, I took a little time to stretch my legs out front, while the kids hung out in Daisy (the RV), and came upon a wonderful community garden.
In front of the garden, I saw a man with a bike and trailer full of gardening tools and plants. Of course, I had to say hello and meet this very cool citizen farmer. He was harvesting brussel sprouts and showed me around the beautiful, fall garden. We shared some recipes and I was struck by the presence of this community garden. It was right in the middle of town, out front of a grocery store with no fence. It was a true community hangout and reinforced the ideas that:
1. A community garden can be anywhere!
2. And in the midst of social isolation, we are in desperate need of more community gardens and farms.
I know so many people are feeling lonely this holiday season as we are not gathering in our communities like we normally do. Many aren’t able to safely travel or see friends and family, near or far. Yet, this Putney Community Garden planted a seed in my mind, like I hope it does in yours. Let’s take this winter to plan, planting the seeds for change to make our community more resilient and more united through gardens and farmers for everyone.
About Community Gardens
Community gardens have become the new hangout at parks, schools, places of worship, previously-empty lots, and any other little swath of land that can be transformed into a vibrant garden where both food and community are grown. Many community garden leaders intend their locations to be welcome havens for all, but achieving that in reality can sometimes be challenging.
Some concerns regarding starting a community garden include land use and ownership issues, parking, bathrooms, ADA-accessibility, community access, fencing, general safety, and the ability to add accessory structures such as tool sheds and greenhouses, if desired. Therefore, I’ve put together some ways to overcome these barriers.
Tips for Planning
Here are some ways to ensure that all members of your community can participate in the garden and enjoy the fruits of their labor:
1. Make sure your location is easily accessible: Take a look and be sure that there are not some unintended barriers to accessing your location that can be easily reduced. Can you see the garden from the street, or is it blocked by weeds and debris? Is there available parking, including a bike rack? Do you have signs letting people know that it is a community garden and that all are welcome to visit? If not, these are all easy, inexpensive fixes that might just mean clearing out and designating a little extra space to make your members and visitors feel more welcome.
2. Accommodate those with disabilities: If you haven't thought about accessibility for people with disabilities, you'll probably think of it pretty quickly the first time someone who can't get up your wood-chipped path with his or her cane, walker, or wheelchair comes to visit. When building the garden for the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, we subcontracted a concrete company to help make sure the garden was safe and accessible to all. This is where a paved path, at least partially, and an extra-high raised bed that a wheelchair can slide under or beside come in handy, and many community gardens are incorporating these elements right from the get-go. Other niceties that take into consideration a wide range of abilities include shade areas, benches, convenient restrooms, and sensory integration elements such as herb gardens, wind chimes, art elements, water elements, food sampling areas, and other features where the five senses are awakened.
3. Maintain an open door (gate) policy: There comes a time, usually around the first tomato-snatching, when community garden leaders decide to lock their gardens to reduce the chances of theft. Best practices nationwide show proven strategies to achieve this goal without locking out the public. These include encouraging members to personalize their beds and harvest frequently to show that the food grown is valued, dedicating excess produce to a local food pantry to show commitment to those in need in the area, and offering a "thieves’ bed" where anyone can pick whatever's ready to be harvested to satisfy those who simply can't restrain themselves at the sight of such beautiful bounty. Also, keep finding ways to involve more parts of the community in the garden, and you will increase the number of people who feel ownership and pride in it, and will thereby help protect it. Buddying up with your local police department is always a good idea. You could even offer a neighborhood precinct a few free plots to help look out for it.
4. Provide a welcoming atmosphere: Community garden leaders can set a good example for their members by always greeting visitors to the garden, engaging them in conversation, and inviting them to help or browse. People who linger, laugh, and learn together create a positive environment that is attractive to others. Some ways to know if you're a quart low on this attribute are: (a) if your garden members are simply running in, watering, and leaving, (b) if your garden members don't know each other's names, (c) if you don't have a steady stream of non-members coming by to check out the garden, and, of course, (d) if going to the garden is simply not fun.
5. If you want to grow food for sale, check the rules: You now need to determine whether or not commercial activity is allowed, plus how you can accommodate larger equipment, food storage, accessory structures, and a larger compost operation than a community garden or home garden might require. Contact your city hall for exact details about local ordinances that affect growing food where you live. And be ready to dig in when it's time for spring planting.