Help me start a community garden in my town.

[ParisApril]

So I want to start a community garden in my town. The town owns some land by a river in town. It is a nice flat piece of land that is very central to the whole town that would be the perfect place to have a communtiy garden. All that we would need to do would be to put some top soil down maybe not even that if the soil there is good. (Can't check right now as it is burried under two feet of snow.)

I was told I have to write a proposal to the Mayor and council about what I have in mind for the garden. I was told the town will not want to have any responsibility in maintaining the gardens.

Really all I have in mind are small plots marked somehow and a community compost. Some water source as well I guess. Gardeners would have to bring their own tools. Basic, cheap and easy to maintain.

Should I get signatures for my letter as a show of community support? What has been done in your communities? How big are your individual plots? How has having a community garden helped your communties?

TIA.

April

[wordmommy]

We're planning a community garden in our area, too. You are going to have two (main) obstacles: the water source and the composting. You probably are thinking of trying to use the river or a city "faucet" as the source, but both are going to bring up red tape issues. Even locating the garden near the river might be a problem with eco-groups unless you can guarantee that nobody will use pesticides (in fact, there might actually be city ordinances about this with the river so close.) *Pause here to say, "Yay, you, for having the guts to make a positive impact on your community!" Just wanted to say that 'cause I feel like Debbie Downer.* However, it also might be possible to get a grant to use the river for irrigation. You might have to be willing to do some research about this. (You might bring up the idea of donors purchasing rain barrels.)

The composting is a fear thing: people equate rotting stuff with bugs and smell. So you'll have to make sure that everybody in on the public garden knows what can be composted. You might think about composting containers...I've heard that there are eco-groups sometimes willing to donate them.

I don't know if signatures are necessary, but if you can get some or have some folks attend a meeting you might be asked to speak at, it can't hurt.

So. What I'd do is write your letter and talk about in the opening part about how therapeutic it can be to garden and how it can bring folks together and offer an extra food source for families in need.

Then address the problems head on. Let the Mayor and council know that you have researched this and are serious about it.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else. This is one of my dreams for our community and yesterday, I got teary-eyed talking to a gardening club about taking tomatoes to old folks' homes. It was a little ridiculous.

[FarmerCathy]

Ours I just joined is totally fenced in with combo locks on the gates. We pay $50 per 20x24 plots. $25 for half a plot. They have a community shed with tools, wagons, and they have 4 wheel barrels stationed around the garden. There are work days and you have to log in atleast 8 hours per year. There are several work days per year just to clean up weeds on paths and such. We have tree trimming companies who drop off thier chipped wood and we mulch the paths with that. I can tell you all that we do at work days when I attend one to give ideas on what all we do on those days. We are all required to keep weeds down in front of our plots otherwise we are kicked out. We can bring our own tools, but it was suggested to have them locked up if we leave them thier or take them home every time. Hmmm.... what else. If I think of anything else I will post.