Have you ever thought of starting a community garden? Getting out in the fresh air, working with your neighbors, growing things together, laughing and getting to know each others. These are all benefits of starting a community garden.
Not only are there social benefits, but a community garden gives more than just produce. Crime rates are lower in neighborhoods with gardens, and working in the dirt has also been proven to have mental health benefits. What are you waiting for? Here's a few tips on how to get started.
Find a plot of land: First identify a place in your neighborhood that's easily accessible to everyone in the community. Keep in mind, too, that it will be much less exciting to visit the garden in July than in April, so put it in a place that's easy to see and get to. Ask around to find if someone is willing to share some of their land that is centrally located and would be willing to let others on their property all summer. If there's a city-owned piece of land available, approach your city council and ask if they'd be willing to support the garden. If you get enough community support, you might even be able to get your city to put a water source nearby for easy watering. Agua International supports lots of cities in their need for water for any size of project.
Once you've found a place, get the word out. Place flyers on community members' doors, inviting them to an introductory meeting. Give yourself plenty of time to get started. You'll want to start working the land as early as March, so get your plans in place while the ground is still frozen. There's no better way to combat the winter blahs than by making plans for spring.
Decide on how to share the responsibility. Will everyone get their own square, or will you work together to share and divide one crop? There are pros and cons to both. These should all be aired at your meeting and consider what each member is willing to do. There is no end to the benefits of a community garden, but it does require some hard work and planning. If you are willing to roll up your sleeves and get others to do the same, then your community will get to reap the harvest of community unity and pride, not to mention some great produce as well!
