Growing Food in the community - starting a community garden?

Jens the Beekeeper

I am thinking about a new project that I would like to start and I would like to discuss the project and ways to start this with you.

I am thinking of starting a community garden in these uncertain times. Adjectant to our church there is this big big lawn area that is or no use but just sitting there and producing nothing.

I am thinking of asking the church for support on transforming this ground to a community garden, maybe something like a coop or CSA paid by work instead of money. The aim would be to produce local grown food and provide it to the community. Maybe have some interested people have their own bed to grow food they like.

And there is an abandoned nursery with at least three greenhouses close by that would fit in to grow more food and starts.

What do you think of this project?

How would you tackle it and what should I consider?

annebeloncik

I love the community garden idea! My church has a spot that a few years ago was a community garden built as an Eagle Scout project, with raised beds and a water pump. Several folks used it at first. Now the sign and the pump are all that is there, so I got permission to start gardening there again. I just put a raised bed in and plan to plant some greens and maybe scallions, then garlic when it gets closer to first frost. I thought maybe I would try to restart the community garden in the spring. We need things like this now more than ever!

Torey

I think now is a perfect time to start community gardens. More people are showing interest in providing for themselves and may not have the space or abilities to do it all themselves. Church yards are great spots to choose. Maybe even a project that could be used by a Sunday school group. Educational and an opportunity to introduce community service to kids, if the produce could be used for food banks.

Torey

I think now is a perfect time to start community gardens. More people are showing interest in providing for themselves and may not have the space or abilities to do it all themselves. Church yards are great spots to choose. Maybe even a project that could be used by a Sunday school group. Educational and an opportunity to introduce community service to kids, if the produce could be used for food banks.

Gil Montano

Producing your own food should be one of the basic activities that people should do or at least have the knowledge of how to do it. It should be a compulsory subject in schools in all countries, more fundamental than mathematics

VermontCathy

@Gil Montano "Producing your own food should be one of the basic activities that people should do or at least have the knowledge of how to do it. It should be a compusory subject in schools in all countries, more fundamental than mathematics"

For most of human history, it was. You learned it at home on the farm. Many Americans don't really understand why schools here have always had "summer vacation". It wasn't put there as vacation, but to get the kids out of school so they could help on the farm during the busy farming season. Farm kids worked hard in the summer!

Even town kids would have learned how to keep the kitchen garden in the back yard going. Growing and preparing food was too important to be left to schools to teach.

It remains to be seen whether our current model of having hardly any farmers, and with over half of the world population living in cities, is sustainable long-term. It has never even been attempted before.

Monek Marie

I love community gardens! Churches, parks, empty lots, where ever possible. And definitely schools. Many schools that have added them have lunches and a harvest dinner at the end of a season.

Living by a large creek I have thought of a floating mini garden and gardens by ther creek edge to attract boats to gardening and nature.

I have seen quite a few community gardens be set up and it seems the biggest problem is lack of interest after a year or two. Maybe including classes, meals, plant or seed swaps would keep people active?