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Community
Gardens
 A
community garden is a plot of land around which neighborhoods
can come together on individual or family plots to grow food
and build community. Cultures throughout the world have always
depended upon individual and community gardens. In this country,
the American Community Gardens Association (ACGA) estimates
that from less than 20 community garden programs in the early
1970’s there are now more than 550 programs. Gardening in the
US is a popular recreational activity and yet there is still
hunger and poor nutrition in the US. A study done in 1991 found
that 30 million Americans reported that they did not always
have enough to eat. This includes 12 million children, including
246,000 children in Florida. The area of Alachua County, including
Gainesville, has been rated as one of 11 counties in Florida
with the worst designation of ‘Very High’ for a condition of
child hunger. In addition, many Alachua County schools participate
in School Breakfast and School Lunch programs. Community gardens
are a first step in providing food security for families, neighborhoods
and communities.
Andy Fisher
of the Community Food Security Coalition in California, asserts
that the average food item in a supermarket travels 1,400 miles
before it reaches the consumer, requiring 10 calories of energy
to deliver 1 calorie of food. Along with the environmental and
economic impacts of the use of fuels and pollution caused by
vehicles, the money that is paid at the supermarket leaves the
local economy and goes to the economies of other regions. Large
scale mono-culture, pesticide and fertilizer intensive agri-businesses
have become the primary source of food production in this country,
leaving most people unaware of where their food comes from.
Dependence on sources of food from other parts of the country
and from other countries like Mexico diminishes the food security
of a community. Events in other places, including water shortages,
fuel prices, and plant disease occurrences can effect the price
and availability of food, affecting most severely those who
have low incomes and the most vulnerable members of a community,
the elderly and children.
Pesticides
and fertilizers used for agriculture cause serious health problems,
and their production and use contributes to significant environmental
degradation world-wide. Americans use about 8.7 pounds of pesticides
per person per year. The American Association of Poison Control
Centers reported that 79,000 children were involved in common
household pesticide poisonings or exposures in 1990. Organic
community gardens provide for healthy untreated food that can
be eaten fresh without the preservatives that are typically
added to produce that is shipped long distances.
 Community
gardens provide food, but as importantly, they are ‘seeding’
grounds for neighborhood revitalization, social and economic
self-empowerment, micro-enterprises, social interaction, and
neighborhood beautification. They are also sources of environmental
awareness, especially for children, and bring the elderly and
children together. Gardens provide recreation and exercise and
have proven value as therapy for ill and mentally handicapped
people.
Community
Gardens in Florida
Florida has several community gardens programs. Tampa, St. Petersburg,
Delray Beach, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville and most recently,
Sarasota, all have community gardens in lower income and blighted
areas. Land is typically found through city agencies and the
projects are supported by partnerships consisting of combinations
of local governments, county extension services, waste authorities,
private donations and volunteers, and social service organizations.
The heart of any community gardens are the neighborhood activists
and interested people who champion and develop the efforts and
the people who want and grow the gardens. All suPCCEssful community
gardens are a result of people who garden in them, their work,
patience and commitment are the substitutes for machinery, fossil
fuels, pesticide, and fertilizers.
The Benefits
of Community Gardens
One 4’ x 16’ garden plot can provide a fresh vegetable for a
family of four every day of the year. Gardens are gathering
places where people can meet for relaxation and conversation
and relief from the stresses of everyday life. Children can
find a sanctuary, place to play, and learn about ecology and
working with others.
Community
Gardens:
- Build
neighborliness and sense of ownership in the garden and the
community
- Make
productive use of urban vacant land, providing cooling, neighborhood
composting and recycling of organic wastes to create soil,
water filtration and absorption
- Grow
flowers and ornamental vegetables that beautify the neighborhood
- Provide
low-cost organic vegetables and herbs
- Create
a sense of pride and accomplishment and the empowerment of
food self-sufficiency
- Make
a place for outdoor activities, exercise, recreation and therapy
to alleviate stress
- Have
long been used as an additional form of healing for people
who are ill and as activities for the mentally handicapped
- Teach
children about the environment and plants and about working
with others
- Give
older people a way to be productive, interact with, and mentor
/care for children
- Provide
the opportunities for everyone in a neighborhood to be able
to interact and work together and learn about each other
- Save
money for people growing their own food
- Help
homeless people, and others in difficult situations, to regain
their pride and sense of belonging to a community, learn skills
and be productive for their own sake and the sake of the community.
- Community
Gardens are about community-building, neighborliness, the
environment, local self-sufficiency, healthy organic food,
economic empowerment, and improving the urban landscape of
a community.
Porter’
Neighborhood Community Center
The Porter’s Neighborhood Community Center is located at SW
6th Ave and SW 2nd Terrace in proximity to Porter’s Oaks housing
project. The community and educational activities that take
place at the center can be augmented by a community garden and
other gardens on the surrounding land. Land that is owned by
the United Gainesville Community Development Corporation provides
secure ownership, and the building provides a source of water
and an indoor gathering space. The UGCDC land immediately to
the east of the Center is sunny, open and ample enough to provide
one-quarter acre for 20-25 individual 10’ x 10’ plots. Residents
of the housing projects and surrounding neighborhood who do
not have land and who wish to grow food can make use of this
garden. Children who come to the center can be given areas for
them to learn environmental ideas and enjoy butterflies and
other wildlife. The enhancement of community and a sense of
ownership will be increased by the production of food and the
satisfaction that is gained by literally seeing the fruits of
one’s efforts.
Various
funding sources and free seed sources can be utilized to provide
the necessary inputs into the community garden at Porter’s Neighborhood
Center. The involvement of children and local residents in the
design of the garden is a prerequisite. The Alachua County Cooperative
Extension Service is committed to making the establishment of
community gardens in Gainesville a high priority and providing
the technical support necessary.
Porters
Community Center Garden
Goal:
- To make
the Porters Center Garden a place for children and adults
of all ages to come together to grow vegetables, herbs, and
flowers, learn about nutrition and the environment, beautify
the neighborhood and build a sense of community.
Objectives:
- Outreach
to the neighborhood to find interested gardeners and teachers
to work with the children.
- Provide
the necessary educational and material support to make the
garden productive, fun, long-lasting, and beautiful.
- Provide
networking and information sharing for mutual support and
coordination of activities for this garden and others in adjacent
areas.
- Document
the process of establishing the garden, and its benefits,
environmentally, socially, and economically over the long-term.
- Publicity
as a means of gathering support from organizations and promoting
awareness and change in government policy, and as a model
to help other urban agriculture efforts.
- Provide
activities, recreation, and career education to young people.
- Provide
low-cost healthy food and empowerment through people growing
their own food in proximity to their homes.
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