How to Start a Community Garden Handout - Workshops 2011
Handout
How to Start a Community Garden
Organized by Wasatch Community Gardens
Planning your community garden:
What is a community garden?
A community garden is a piece of land shared by friends and neighbors for growing vegetables and flowers, and providing opportunities for positive social interactions and recreation.
Community Gardens can be divided up between community members for personal use, developed into school gardens, growing food for food pantries, educational and training workshops and youth gardening programs.
Envisioning your garden:
The planning committee will investigate/brainstorm its visions, goals and objectives for the community garden project.
-What type of garden do we want?
-Who is the garden for?
-What sort of programs could we run out of the garden?
-Location?
-What is the goal for garden completion date?
-How will the garden be laid out?
What type of garden?:
School garden:
Community garden for individual use:
Food pantry garden:
Educational garden:
Involving your community and identifying stakeholders:
Choosing your site:
Consider: a number of sites, who you are trying to serve, surrounding community interest, soil conditions, water access, etc…
Site assessment:
Sunlight, shady areas, soil (ph, soil tests), topography, water access, visibility, composing area, restroom, power, neighborhood (need/want), etc…
Forming your committee:
Your planning committee should be composed of a manageable group of committed individuals that can share a sense of ownership, and responsibility for the success of the garden.
Planning committee should include:
Garden Coordinator-
Treasurer-
Garden Steward-
Funding your garden:
There are many fundraising strategies, but don’t overlook easy ways to fund/supply your garden. In-kind donations and dedicating some time to urban scavenging can help you easily obtain many of the resources you need.
It’s helpful to form a fundraising committee, both to spearhead the initial campaign and to take responsibility for meeting the ongoing financial needs of the organization.
Garden budget:
Fundraising avenues:
-Direct-mail appeals
-Writing grant proposals
-Survey letter
-Door-to-door solicitation
-Fundraising events
501c3 Status: Becoming a non-profit
Insurance:
Property insurance:
General liability insurance:
Securing Land
Buy or lease site:
Implementing your garden plan:
Recruiting gardeners:
Creating garden spaces:
Managing your garden:
Long-term challenges
Resource Guide for Starting a Community Gardening
Books/Articles/Websites on Community Gardening:
Community Gardening Guides
A Handbook of Community Gardening, by Boston Urban Gardeners, edited by Susan Naimark Published in 1982
Creating Community Gardens, by Dorothy Johnson, Executive Director, & Rick Bonlender, MN Green Coordinator, Minnesota State Horticultural Society Minnesota State Horticultural Society, 1970, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
Cultivating Community: Principles and Practices for Community Gardening As a Community-Building Tool, by Karen
Payne and Deborah Fryman
“Starting a Community Garden,” American Community Garden Association (ACGA),
http://www.communitygarden.org/pubs/starting.html
“Community Garden Start-up Guide,” University of California Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles,
http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/garden/articles/startup_guide.html
Fundraising
“How to: Fund Raising,” by Gary Goosman, in Community Greening Review 1998, ACGA
The Complete Book of Fund-Raising Writing, Don Fey, The Morris-Lee Publishing Group, 1995
The Complete Book of Model Fund-Raising Letters, Roland Kuniholm, Prentice Hall, 1995
(See Local section for local assistance in becoming a nonprofit)
Community Garden Policy, Municipal Programs
“Community Development through Gardening: State and Local Policies Transforming Urban Open Space”, by Jane E.
Schukoske. A PDF file that can be downloaded from NYU website.
“Comprehensive Plans, Zoning Regulations, Open Space Policies and Goals Concerning Community Gardens
and Open Green Space from the Cities of Seattle, Berkeley, Boston, and Chicago” Information compiled by
ACGA Member Lenny Librizzi for the GreenThumb Grow Together Workshop “Lessons From Community
Gardening Programs In Other Cities” given March 20, 1999. www.communitygarden.org/links/cg_policies.pdf
“National Community Garden Survey 1996,” ACGA Monograph by Suzanne Monroe-Santos,
http://www.communitygarden.org/pubs/Monograph1.pdf
“Making Policy in a Crowded World: Steps Beyond the Physical Garden,” by Pamela R.
Kirschbaum, in Community Greening Review, ACGA 2000
General Gardening Resources:
How to Grow More Vegetables, John Jeavons, Ten Speed Press, 1995
Four-Season Harvest, Eliot Coleman, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1999
Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Barbara W. Ellis (ed.), Rodale Press, 1992
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, J. I. Rodale, Rodale Press, 2000
Step by Step Organic Vegetable Gardening, Shepherd Ogden, Harper Perennial, 1994
Companion Planting
Carrots Love Tomatoes, Louise Riotte, Storey Books, 1998
Great Garden Companions, Sally Jean Cunningham, Rodale Press
Pest Control
Rodale's Color Handbook of Garden Insects, Anna Carr, Rodale Press, 1979
Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening Controlling Pests and Diseases, Michalak & Gilkeson, Rodale Press, 1994
The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control, Barbara Ellis, Rodale Press, 1996
Bugs, Slugs, and Other Thugs, Rhonda Massingham Hart, Storey Books, 1991
Dead Snails Leave No Trails, Loren Nancarrow and Janet Hogan Taylor, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA 1996
Good Bugs for Your Garden, Allison Mia Starcher, Algonquin Books, 1995
1,001 Old-Time Garden Tips, Roger B. Yepson, Rodale Press, 1998
Edible Landscaping
Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally, Robert Kourik (out of print)
Gardening and the Environment
The One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka (out of print)
Introduction to Permaculture, Bill C. Mollison, Ten Speed Press, 1997
Gardening for the Future of the Earth, Howard-Yana Shapiro/John Harrison, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, 2000
Lead in Soil
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1149.html
Composting
The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener, Martin &Gershuny, eds., Rodale Press, 1992
Vermiculture
Worms Eat My Garbage, Mary Appelhof, Flower Press 1982 Kalamazoo, Michigan
Periodicals:
Organic Gardening, Rodale Press, http://www.organicgardening.com
Mother Earth News, Ogden Publications, http://www.motherearthnews.com
Seed Catalogs:
Bountiful Gardens
18001 Shafer Ranch Road Willits, CA 95490
http://www.bountifulgardens.org
The Cooks’Garden (800) 457-9703
PO Box 535 Londonderry, VT 05148
http://www.cooksgarden.com
High Country Gardens (800)925-9387
2902 Rufina Street Santa Fe, NM 87507-2929
http://www.highcountrygardens.com
Johnny’s Seeds (207) 437-4301
184 Foss Hill Road Albion, ME 04910-9731
http://www.johnnyseeds.com
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply (888) 784-1722
PO Box 2209 Grass Valley, CA 95945
http://www.groworganic.com
Seed Savers Exchange (563) 382-5990
3076 North Winn Road Decorah, Iowa 52101
http://www.seedsavers.org
Seeds of Change (888)-762-7333
PO Box 15700 Santa Fe, NM 87592-1500
http://seedsofchange.com
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds (860) 482-3638
30 Irene Street Torrington, CT 06790-6658
http://www.shepherdseeds.com
Tomato Growers Supply Company (888) 478-7333
PO 2237 Fort Meyers, FL 33902
http://www.tomatogrowers.com
Tool Catalogs:
Lee Valley Tools (800) 871-8158
PO Box 1780 Ogdensburg, NY 13669-6780
http://www.leevalley.com
Local Resources:
Compost
City Landfill – 801-974-6900
California Ave./~6000 West)
For compost, mulch, wood chips
Straw
AA Callister 973-7058
3615 South Redwood Road
Layton Farm and Home 544-5944
164 S Main Layton 84041-3725
Ball Feed and Horse Supply 255-2621
7500 South 700 West Midvale
Intermountain Farmer’s Association
1147 West 2100 South SLC 972-3009
1045 East 12400 South Draper 571-0125
Drip Irrigation
Sprinkler World
8451 S Sandy Parkway, Sandy 562-4575
The Gardening Coach, LLC (Kathlyn Collins)
kathlyncollins@thegardeningcoach.net
231-3702
Tools, Etc…
Western Garden 364-7871
550 South 600 East
Home Depot 467-3900
300 West 2100 South
Gard’n Wise 936-0940
360 North 700 West Ste. A
(in NSL)
Steve Regan 268-4500
4215 S 500 W
Harbor Freight 484-9556
3470 South State
Burton Lumber 487-8861
2220 South State
Sutherland’s 538-0000
1780 West North Temple
Millcreek Gardens 487-4131
3500 S. 900 E.
Seed Companies
Mountain Valley Seeds 801.486.0480
455 W 1700 S
mvseeds.com
Keynon Organics – 801-699-7540
kenyonorganics.com
Soil Testing
USU Analytical Labs (435) 797-2217
Ag Science Rm 166
Logan, UT 84322-4830
Horticultural Specialists
Utah Extensions Service
Salt Lake County:
2001 South State Street #1200 Salt Lake City 801-468-3170
Davis County:
28 East State Street PO Box 618 Farmington 801-451-3403
Utah County:
51 South University Avenue #206 Provo 801-370-8460
Wasatch Community Gardens:
400 South 345 East, SLC UT 801-359-2658
Utah Fundraising, Incorporating, Legal Assistance
Utah Nonprofits Association
260 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 214 Telephone: (801) 581-4883
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-915
State of Utah Dept. of Commerce
160 East 300 South Main Floor, SLC (Walk-In)
Information Center: (801) 530-4849 (877) 526-6438
www.commerce.utah.gov
Internal Revenues Service
Tax Questions: 1-800-829-1040
Tax Forms: 1-800-829-3676
Utah State Bar
645 South 245 East SLC, UT
531-9077
New Grant Information:
National Gardening Assoc. www.garden.org
American Community Gardening Assoc. www.communitygardening.org
Slow Food Utah slowfoodutah.org
Web Sites:
Wasatch Community Gardens www.wasatchgardens.org
Garden Guides www.gardenguides.com
Garden Gate garden-gate.prairienet.org
Garden Web www.gardenweb.com
Cooks’ Garden www.cooksgarden.com
Organic Kitchen www.organickitchen.com
World Leader www.worldleader.com/garden
Backyard Gardener www.backyardgardener.com
Seeds Blum www.seedsblum.com
Garden Forever www.gardenforever.com
ACGA www.communitygarden.org/index.html
Biodynamic Gardening www.biodynamic.net
Gardening www.life.ca/subject/gardening.html
Urban Harvest www.jumpnet.com/~arjun/UrbanHarvest
CSA info www.csacenter.org
Garden Net www.gardennet.com
National Gardening Assoc. www.garden.org/
CSA’s in Utah www.csautah.org
To print out Wasatch Community Garden’s handbook “From Neglected Parcels to Community Gardens: A Handbook” please visit
http://wasatchgardens.org/files/images/FromNeglectedParcelsToCommunityGardens.PDF
