FIND MORE ARTICLES AT NOBLE.ORG A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM APRIL 2018 | VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 4 NOBLE RESEARCH INSTITUTE NOBLENEWS&VIEWS

SPECIALTY AG How to Start a Community

by Will Chaney, pecan and specialty systems senior research associate | [email protected]

community garden can provide solutions to a diverse range of unmet needs for communities focused on , at-risk youth, mental health and food insecurities. Com- munity can be found in neighborhoods, parks, workplaces and many other locations. We get a lot of questions about the process of building a community garden. If you manage Aa community garden or are thinking of starting one, take a look at the resources available through the American Community Garden Association (ACGA) at communitygarden.org. ACGA developed the fol- lowing steps for starting a community garden. We’ve added our own recommendations below.

1. ORGANIZE A MEETING OF 2. FORM A PLANNING INTERESTED PEOPLE. COMMITTEE. Organize a group meeting and invite A committee can organize the needs and anyone you think might be interested. develop a plan. Will one garden support the USDA is another These individuals may be business own- needs? If enough interest is shown, you may need great resource for ers, school officials or community lead- to develop more than one garden. For example, starting a com- ers. In this first meeting, gauge interest one garden might use organic production meth- munity garden in and determine the group’s focus. Do ods and the other garden will use conventional your neighbor- you need organic or conventional? Do methods. Depending on interest at this point, you hood. Visit bit.ly/ you want to include flowers or just grow might also include members of your local munici- usda-garden ​ to food such as vegetables, herbs and pality and government groups such as the health learn more. other edible ? What about fruit department and cooperative extension agents. trees? Do you need plots or raised beds, Hopefully these groups have been involved since or what about a communal garden? Once the first step. If not, try and involve them at this you have a list of interested parties and point. Once plans are made, the committee can a list of needs, the next step is to form a form action committees to accomplish specific committee. goals. 2 | AG NEWS&VIEWS

3. IDENTIFY YOUR RESOURCES. 7. PLAN FOR CHILDREN. Compile a list of resources you have, what If the garden will be used by families, consider you need and who might be able to help. You child-friendly play areas and educational sig- will need a site for the garden and someone nage. A garden is a great place for education. with or basic agriculture knowl- Gardens developed in or near parks provide a edge. Does the municipality have public land great balance because child-friendly areas may to use, or will you need to find private land? already exist. Land use agreements may be needed if the garden site is not owned by your group (see 8. ORGANIZE THE GARDEN. a sample land use agreement at communi- How many plots will you have? How will plots tygarden.org/resources/sample-land-use- be assigned? What is your layout, do you have agreement). You might also identify groups areas for , and will a tool shed be avail- such as Boy Scout troops, 4-H clubs or FFA able? Consider what crops will be used. If you chapters that could use the garden as a proj- plan on working the plots each year with a tiller ect. Some resource needs will not be known or tractor, you might want to provide a sec- until a final plan is approved, but you should 6. PREPARE AND ondary location for biennial or perennial plants. start thinking about options now. If you build DEVELOP THE SITE. Will the committee do everything together or beds, you will need building material. If you Once a site has been will you appoint a garden superintendent? Now do plots, you will need access to a tiller or picked, work on clearing is the time to finalize these plans. tractor. the area, and construction. Will 9. DETERMINE RULES AND 4. APPROACH A SPONSOR. the garden be fenced? A PUT THEM IN WRITING. fence can provide secu- Next, think about a sponsor or group of sponsors. Set boundaries for participants. Make partic- rity as well as providing Depending on your interested party, a sponsor ipants aware of what can and can’t be done. a barrier for wildlife that may be easy to find. Committee members may Will you collect dues? When and how? This is may be more excited have connections who could provide complete the place for that information. Will you require about your bountiful funding for your project. Employer-sponsored anything from the participants such as required harvest than you. If you community gardens are becoming an additional hours of donated labor for general maintenance? have plots, they can be benefit provided by employers. However, a Put it in writing, provide copies for participants, bigger and easily main- company-sponsored community garden at the and keep signed copies for the garden. You can tained with a small trac- company is almost always exclusive to its staff. even post this information somewhere in the tor if designed correctly. It may be possible that a community garden on garden (see sample garden rules at communi- Raised beds can be a neutral site could get a company sponsor and tygarden.org/resources/sample-garden-rules). easier to maintain weed- allow outside participants. Sponsorship does not You may also need liability waivers to protect free spaces in between have to be limited to one sponsor. For example, a your group. Getting legal advice is a good idea beds and provide easier local fencing company could sponsor fencing sup- before allowing individuals on the property. plies and your local lumberyard could sponsor the access during harvest. material needed for raised beds. Is there a nearby 10. COMMUNICATE WITH landscape company that could donate labor or PARTICIPANTS. equipment for ground work? An offer of signage Do you have meetings, phone lists, email groups placement may be all it takes to get that needed or newsletters? Not being able to communicate donation. You also have the option of charging can be a big source of frustration within groups. participants for the plot they use or any service Community gardens provide a venue for being provided from the garden. This will generate reve- Check out youtube.com/ outside and growing your own food, but one of nue that can be used for project maintenance and nobleresearchinstitute the most overlooked goals of a community gar- upkeep. for video tips. den is to build community. Maintain communica- tion with all participants. 5. CHOOSE A SITE. As more and more groups develop commu- Your site should receive at least six hours of nity gardens, the benefits of these projects are sunlight each day. The site should be near an being realized. These projects can be successful available water source and have adequate routes when organization, communication and dedica- of access. Good soil drainage is also import- tion are at the forefront of the initiative. If you ant. Take soil samples from possible sites have any questions about developing a and have them analyzed. Even if the site community garden, please feel free to looks perfect, you can’t know the soil contact us. composition without a test.