Community Gardens - How to start one

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Permalink Reply by Harvey Jones on June 17, 2008 at 22:20

Thanks for this resource James.
This was actually the start point for my entry into transitiontowns and I was looking at a way to develop a group of established gardeners to share the kbnowledge and experience with novice gardeners who are now realising that they may need to grow their own food. With infill sites reducing the space available, a community garden or allotment set up was the next step.

I will pick up the pdf tomorrow with faster connection, but wonder if this resource or others also covers the process of creating a garden of various sizes from bare ground. I suspect the info may be scattered around in various places and could be linked or be massaged into a set of resources under the wider growing food forum.

My feeling is that there may be a lot of people out there who will be learners and it can be disheartening to not see immediate results.

A question though, which Waiheke may already have been through. Has the community garden set up happened at the same time as a growth in home gardening for food? I certainly see the advantages in a central community area for community building and also for efficient use of seeds and seedling being grown and shared around to those who need it.

Others I have spoken to are not so sure and may seem more keen on putting their energy into a home garden. This may be a question of a community minded area versus the conventional economic thinking model. The former is more likely to last while we see unsustainable practices expire.

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Permalink Reply by Deirdre Kent on June 18, 2008 at 9:03

Thanks for this James. I sent the url on to two guys at the local wananga in Otaki who want to start a community garden on land there.

I have been told that the Ministry of Health has funding which can cover running of community gardens and that this happens in Nelson.

In Kapiti Merran Plunket proposed a scheme of home garden groups as she believes there are too many issues in community groups. The council has already helped with the first one they have set up. And in Otaki, which is in the north part of the Kapiti Coast District Council, we have a meeting for 20 people tomorrow morning initiated by council officers. The subject "Food Resilience in Otaki". They have invited many interested groups and hope that the outcome will be stronger links between players, and more support for the three current proposals from different groups. Our TT proposal will be to start with an Edible Garden Tour and lead on to home garden groups.

This discussion has also led us to think about getting a timebank up and running using software from Tim Jenkin in South Africa at . If we had one where the unit was a minute or a 10 minute period or a 15 minute period, then the skill exchange system would work more easily as people would be paid in time units for the work they did. His software, by the way, keeps on and on improving every year and he is very responsive to requests. He is a member of this website and on the local currencies group here.

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Permalink Reply by Petal2000 on July 24, 2008 at 21:54

I wonder if an answer is to combine the community and home garden aspects in a "Super(local)market".... block by block urban homegarden versions of the farmers markets but focusing on barter, with any commerce as an extra.

I grow spinach, tamarillos, silverbeet, rosemary, mint, potatoes, rhubarb. What does my neighbour grow? Could 40 or so households in my block grow enough primary produce in home gardens to share and barter every week?

Would the process encourage all sorts of other community growth? It would certainly be eating green ! Less carbon footprint for that greenpepper you want to add to your dinner. Possibly less cost for your vege needs if the barter system works. Eating in season for sure.

An advantage over a community garden is it would be possible to avoid having to organise a large group of people, or a shared garden. I think a core of say 5 people who currently have gardens and knowledge could kick start the market. Those who dont currently grow anything can come with $, and maybe get inspired to start growing something, or realise they have something they can share/barter like mulch, labour, etc.

For the Super(local)market, a weekly time, say 1 hour, and a place is decided on, and then to some extent the market dictates what people will grow, and what will have good barter value. I was thinking that a Super(local)market might consist of only a block or so of houses. The market could be held in someones garage, with no need to travel by car to reach it, and therefore no need to provide toliets during the market. Maybe in the long run, several Super(local)markets might decide to join up every few months to create a wider network.

Each Super(local)market could be based in a homepage which can only be accessed by the people directly involved. This might encourage people who find the web a very anonymous place to feel safe, and directly involved. Gardening tips, community information, and a super(local)notice board could operate. I am interested in approaching the garden center which is in walking distance to sponsor our Super(local)market with advertising on the homepage, and a chance to offer seedlings, vouchers, etc on the market days.


A few thoughts to begin, anyway.

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