In several post I have seen Community Gardens mentioned. RBG - you participate in a Community Garden. What is involved in establishing a Community Garden?
I live in an old subdivision - established in the late 70's early 80's. Many of my neighbors have back yard gardens or vegetables and herbs in pots on their patio. There are no empty lots in the subdivision. The family that established the subdivision does have some property on the perimeter of the subdivision.
So where do I start? What is the cost? What about water? How do you go about dividing the plots and labor?
I am totally clueless but find the idea interesting.
The more information the better.
Thanks all
BTW - probably just a pipe dream but the idea is interesting.
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Well, mine is a kind of unique situation. My church sits on 5 acres of land in the city. A couple acres are woods, much of the rest is lawn, though we did convert some into native wildflower meadow. We also fenced in an area about maybe 100' by 50' and turned that into community garden for the members of our faith community. We put it all in to raised beds, I think around 15 of them (I should count some time). So who does what is defined. People just claim a bed and work it. All the responsibility for that bed is theirs and all the products of it (unless they choose to share 
) There is a water faucet and a 250 gallon rain barrel a little ways away (longer than the hose will reach), so we just carry water, again each person/ family taking care of their own little plot. They are standard 8x4 beds, so it isn't a lot. I have two of them this year. But for city people, especially apt dwellers, it can be nice to have a little space to grow something. So there is no cost to anyone for any of this. The church owns the land outright. The fencing in etc was done years ago. So currently the only cost might be some extra water, but the church just absorbs that in the water bill. Most years in Cincinnati you don't have to water a lot anyway.
I would say to start a community garden you need to start with the land and the people. Get at least a core group of people together that want to do it and have a meeting, discuss the ground rules etc. It would be labor intensive at first getting the ground ready, so you need to have people that are really in to it and want to do the work. It is really different having a garden that isn't outside your door. I live five blocks away and I am there at least once a week, but still it is harder to get it together to take good care of it. We always have people that start a bed in the spring and then abandon it at some point.
) There is a water faucet and a 250 gallon rain barrel a little ways away (longer than the hose will reach), so we just carry water, again each person/ family taking care of their own little plot. They are standard 8x4 beds, so it isn't a lot. I have two of them this year. But for city people, especially apt dwellers, it can be nice to have a little space to grow something. So there is no cost to anyone for any of this. The church owns the land outright. The fencing in etc was done years ago. So currently the only cost might be some extra water, but the church just absorbs that in the water bill. Most years in Cincinnati you don't have to water a lot anyway. I would say to start a community garden you need to start with the land and the people. Get at least a core group of people together that want to do it and have a meeting, discuss the ground rules etc. It would be labor intensive at first getting the ground ready, so you need to have people that are really in to it and want to do the work. It is really different having a garden that isn't outside your door. I live five blocks away and I am there at least once a week, but still it is harder to get it together to take good care of it. We always have people that start a bed in the spring and then abandon it at some point.
Here the City operates most of the community gardens. Some are also operated by specialty groups and coops. Here is a link to the American Community Garden Association.
https://communitygarden.org/resources/1 ... ty-garden/
What Rainbow said is true. The hardest thing to do is find the land. The next hardest thing would be to come up with the start up money and for that you need to get a core of dedicated people.
You will need to get insurance
Zoning from the city if it is not ag zoned
Establish rules, no of plots, sizes, fees.
Parking and access
Water
Security- Dealing with the neighbors and theft
https://communitygarden.org/resources/1 ... ty-garden/
What Rainbow said is true. The hardest thing to do is find the land. The next hardest thing would be to come up with the start up money and for that you need to get a core of dedicated people.
You will need to get insurance
Zoning from the city if it is not ag zoned
Establish rules, no of plots, sizes, fees.
Parking and access
Water
Security- Dealing with the neighbors and theft