View Full Version : Community garden vent
I don't vent a lot here on SL, but I'm just so frustrated and weary today that I can't help it. And yes, it's garden-related :D
We want to start a community garden here in our small town of about 25000. So many people want to garden, or want to LEARN to grow things, but they either live on the north slope of a hill (very hilly), steeply-sloped rocky lots, their HOAs won't let them have fences to keep out the elk, or they simply can't spend the money it takes to put up an 8-foot elk fence around their plot. We did a community survey and there was great support (something like 83% of those polled...really high)
We've been trying to get the local parks district to lease us a small plot in one of the regional parks for a garden. It's about a 50-acre park, and we've asked to put a garden in about a tiny 120 ft x 120 ft space -- which used to be a family farm before it became a park. We want to give small-group classes, teach people how to grow things again. Our budget is small and can be almost completely covered by donations pledged by local businesses.
The local McMansion owners are up in arms. Even though the closest one is more than 1/4 mile away, they don't want a garden in their picture window view. They think a community garden is for poor people, urban people, "those" people. They have turned out at every community meeting to protest, and the parks district listens to them.
The thing is, the garden site is currently used as a dump!! Huge hunks of concrete, trashed rusty playground equipment strewn around, tree trunks, asphalt slabs.... Evidently they don't mind looking at that. But a big square of tomatoes, lettuce, corn, and sunflowers? Now THAT would be ugly >:(
So frustrating. Thanks for listening.
No, I think you are right. It's a case of NIMBY's. I wonder if there are any grants available out there, and if so, do any of those grants have access to statistics, studies, or whatever about the benefits of community gardening? Or to information about past potential problems in extablishing community gardens and how they overcame those issues. Or are there any grants out there that specifically deal with urban renewal? Perhaps, the numbers by statistic might help. But, it's hard to fight the side of City Hall that listens to those with the Gold. Is there a college or university that might be able to refer you to something of that nature? A lot of times, City Halls want to appear to be in 'community partnership' with something. Are there any potential, respected businesses that might be 'sponsors' even in the most limited sense?
I have two words for you: Guerilla Gardening
Power to the people! Don't need no steenkin' permission, that's for wimps.
Iris Lily, Guerilla Gardener, currently sniffing out empty lots on which to plop overflow iris.
guerilla gardening is great (i do a bit of it here), but I think the way you'd be able to win people over is IMAGES.
1. take pictures of the plot that you want to occupy -- rusty play ground equipment, concrete, etc. Identify what these things are.
2. provide images of community gardens the world over -- there are many beautiful community gardens out there with gorgeous photographs. Some ARE scruffy, but pick out pretty ones.
3. provide a large drawing of your plan for the space -- you want a plan like a landscape design AND artistic renderings. See if a local garden center or similar would provide this for you.
4. if possible, see if a local-ish expert on community gardening will visit the meeting and give a statement about the social, civic, and environmental benefits of community gardens. I was able to get someone from longwood gardens to come and talk with our HOA about creating a community garden, and I also got a specially recorded statement from several cities in the US that have community gardens. They were great little videos, to be honest.
The reality is that it is an uphill climb with NIMBYs, but it's just fear. If you can demonstrate to them the benefits of the garden -- in pictures -- then they would be likely to go for it and/or get overruled.
In the alternative, guerilla gardening is great, but consider instead asking the local school if you can use an old athletic field (that is unused), or an area of the church yard, or an empty lot (find out who owns it, ask them if you can lease it. Usually, if they donate the land, they can count that as a charitable donation -- the value of the rent, if that's donated to the garden).
I have two words for you: Guerilla Gardening
Power to the people! Don't need no steenkin' permission, that's for wimps.
Iris Lily, Guerilla Gardener, currently sniffing out empty lots on which to plop overflow iris.
Rock on, Missy!
I have two words for you: Guerilla Gardening
Power to the people! Don't need no steenkin' permission, that's for wimps.
Iris Lily, Guerilla Gardener, currently sniffing out empty lots on which to plop overflow iris.
Love your style, IL!
Some help from the American Community Garden Association might be useful. Plus they can give statistics on how property values increase when there is a community garden nearby.
For the HOA problem, some areas have enacted legislation that people have a right to gardens/chickens/bees/clotheslines.
For people on south rocky slopes, raised lasagne beds may be workable--unless it's actually a ravine :-) .
Do you have a home depot nearby? They are known to get involved in grants of this time. What you need is some more power on your side. More experts, more knowledge, more statistics, more potential benefits. Check this site out.http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants-and-awards This one http://nccommunitygarden.ncsu.edu/research.html and this onehttp://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10705422.2010.519682 I really think you can do this if you feel like taking on Goliath.
Thanks everyone. We're putting together yet ANOTHER proposal this week, and I will incorporate your ideas. This will be like the fifth time, but this time we'll be even more ready with drawings, a budget, benefits statement, local firepower at the meeting, etc. I just get so tired of doing so much work for the public good, just to have a few rich, selfish homeowners be able to pull strings and shoot everything down because they don't want ANY kind of change to their status quo.
And yes, I do guerrilla gardening already (I'm sure people think collard greens grow wild here....when in fact it's just my seed balls :) )
But not appropriate for fencing against marauding wildlife, nor for educating the public about growing food. We really need a distinct space for that, and a public space would be best, as we're all paying for it already anyway with our taxes! I suppose if they shoot it down again, we can approach others like schools, etc.
Guerilla gardening is awesome, but i find it hard to do. you have to plant things at night, and do things covertly as you go. it's a tough way to garden, imo. fun, but tough.
Just wanted to lend some support for your cause puglogic. You don't mention who the "we" are in your group but maybe getting more of these people to attend the meetings could help, perhaps seeing a larger number of people (up in arms for your cause) could add some influence, even though it already sounds like you have presented some excellent facts. The pictures of the dump site as it currently is should counter the mcmansion owners' point about a community garden spoiling their view. Good luck!
I wonder if involving a local school would help? There are some dynamite garden-to-school models out there... and what better use of public land than to support public education?
Well, for those of you who were interested originally, we've advanced to the place where they (the Parks & Rec district) are allowing us to have a big open house for the whole community tonight.
You'll be glad to know that lots of your ideas have been incorporated: We've invited prominent local figures, we gathered lots of statistics from the American Community Garden association and even the National Recreation & Park Association -- which has a strong pro-garden focus -- we have tons of photos (of the existing site, of the proposal garden plan, of OTHER cool gardens, etc.) we have our story straight and rehearsed, and we're baking cookies :) We even built a web site with FAQs, photos, an interactive Powerpoint presentation, etc.
We're positioning it as a gathering of community input to make sure that all objections can be addressed in one way or another. Big post-it pads all over to allow people to submit their thoughts/concerns/recommendations, walking tours to the garden site, etc. Hoping this helps to quell some local fears.....wish us luck!
....we have our story straight and rehearsed, and we're baking cookies :)
Never underestimate the power of pastry!
Sorry you have to go thru this. Our downtown now has chickens. 12 chicken coops/runs were on their own home tour this year. We have several churches/areas with urban gardening. Even an empty lot near us was partially tilled for gardening since the owner is not selling and was fine with it. We are lucky that about the only wild animals are possums and the occasional raccoon.
Puglogic, I'm so glad you've been able to proceed!!
So glad to hear you are still moving ahead. Your presentation sounds like it will be organized and professional, with enthusiasm and passion. Best wishes on the event!
iris lily
4-18-12, 10:51am
pug, this sounds as though it will be successful, you've got a strong organization.
Would love to see the website... Are you willing to share the link?
And, your local public health folks may be interested. Many PH agencies are working on childhood obesity by offering gardens as a way of getting kids interested in fresh veg.
The event was a huge success -- tons of people showed up, huge show of support. I led tours down to the garden site, which was within walking distance of the recreation center where we had the open house. It was great fun to help them all visualize how wonderful it could really be....see how tiny the area is we're talking about....extol the virtues of picking carrots while your kids are in swim lessons!! Typically, the decision-makers that were present were stoic and noncommittal (sigh), but even with that it was great to see how much support there is for a garden here. We had discussions with the local schools, food bank, and Habitat about participating, and encouraged them to (ahem) encourage their lawmakers to move ahead post-haste. We'll see.
Yea pug! It sounds like you are well on your way. Congratulations!!!
Woo hoooo! Congrats. All the spade work in community organizing preps the soil for planting the seeds for reaping the harvest... A metaphor that works for so many things. Good luck!
Wow, that's so GREAT! Way to go! :)
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