BUILDING A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN YOUR PARK

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Grow Your Park InitiativeBUILDING A COMMUNITY GARDENIN YOUR PARK:Opportunities for Health, Community, and Recreation

Grow Your Park InitiativeBUILDING A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN YOUR PARK:Opportunities for Health, Community, and RecreationNational Recreation and Park AssociationandThe National Recreation Foundation

TABLE OF CONTENTSCHAPTER 1: Building Your Garden Community.1CHAPTER 2: How to Build a Community Garden.5CHAPTER 3: Accessible and Inclusive Gardens. 15CHAPTER 4: Organic and Sustainable. 21CHAPTER 5: Get Your Garden Growing. 27CHAPTER 6: Edible Recreation. 35CHAPTER 7: From Plant to Plate . 45CHAPTER 8: Growing Pains. 49CHAPTER 9: Getting the Word Out. 53APPENDIX A: Resources. 56APPENDIX B: “Our Community” Stories of Community GardenProjects Connected to Parks. 59APPENDIX C: Evaluation Tool. 73National Recreation and Park Associationi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAuthors:Laurie HarmonAssistant Professor/Program CoordinatorParks, Recreation, & Leisure StudiesGeorge Mason UniversityLaurel HarringtonDirector of Landscape ArchitectureChristner, Inc.NRPA would like to thank the following contributors for their efforts in assisting withthis publication:William MaynardCity of Sacramento, CADepartment of Parks and RecreationCity of Kansas City, MOCity of Miami Beach Parks & Recreation, FLCity of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, CAPhoto Contributors:Kathy HallPresidentSilvis Garden ClubNatalie PerezGraduate Research AssistantGeorge Mason UniversityLaurie HarmonAssistant Professor/Program CoordinatorParks, Recreation, & Leisure StudiesGeorge Mason UniversityHannah ReinhartCommunity Development CoordinatorGateway GreeningLaurel HarringtonDirector of Landscape ArchitectureChristner, Inc.William MaynardCity of Sacramento, CADepartment of Parks and RecreationWilliam McKelveyFarm to Institute Project ManagerUniversity of Missouri ExtensionNational Recreation and Park AssociationMary RodunerChildren’s Gardening CoordinatorKansas City Community GardensJill M. Wanderscheid, AICPTransportation Planner/Planning DivisionCity of Sioux City, IAEmily WrayChristner, Inc.iii

Grow Your Park InitiativeBUILDING A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN YOUR PARK:Opportunities for Health, Community, and Recreation

CHAPTER 1: BUILDING YOUR GARDEN COMMUNITYIt is easy to want to see your garden take shape and to capture the momentum of volunteerenergy. But take time to build a foundation for long-term success. This foundation is the “gardencommunity” from which the mission, vision, and case for support should grow. Your projectshould communicate a good “story” that shares your mission and vision with the community. Thisproject should meet the community’s current needs or anticipate future needs. Your mission mustinclude goals for long-term programming. Build your garden community before you build yourcommunity garden.Build Support and Seek PartnersIdentify partners early, and gather feedback from a broad spectrum of your community about theexisting obstacles and opportunities. Use this information to inform your vision, mission, and casefor support. When looking for potential partners, it can be helpful to identify shared benefits. Whenyour partners recognize their “voice” in your documented approach, they are more apt to provide thesupport you will need to sustain your project in the long term. Potential partners include:A. Neighbors – Recruit neighbors to take ownership and help protect your investment. Theselocal advocates serve as the eyes and ears of the neighborhood. They have the potential to mostdirectly benefit from this project.B. The City – Gather information about all legal repercussions and responsibilities. Are there lawsor ordinances that would prevent the garden from being placed on pubic property or on parkproperty, specifically? Is insurance required? Is a contract or other paperwork required? Are thereopportunities to share the responsibilities for maintenance and expenses? Could the garden bedeveloped on city property with a lease agreement?C. Experts – Tap into neighborhood gardeners, master gardeners, agricultural extension offices, andlocal botanical garden experts in your area to provide expertise, donate materials, or donate labor.D. Corporations and Community Leaders – Seek out sponsors and others who can not onlyprovide operating capital but can also provide political support for your project (e.g., businessesthat contribute to community beautification and highway adoption projects).E. Agencies and Community Groups – Look for an alignment with your mission and vision andthose of the local agencies and groups supporting people in need. Alternatively, consider buildingyour community garden mission around a community need.F. The School District – Consider “seed to table” programs, where fresh food is grown by studentsfor students, that are being integrated into school curricula and the school lunch menu. Can yourcommunity garden be a resource for your school district?G. Internal – Make sure your community garden fits the goals for your park and park district. Ourparkland often faces the pressure of many conflicting uses.H. Farmers and Growers – Contact your local network of farmers and growers. Participate in afarmers’ market or food co-op.I. Other Parks & Recreation agencies – Communicate with other parks and recreations agencies.Smaller and larger community agencies might be interested in sharing both the work and benefitsof developing a community garden.National Recreation and Park Association1

The following table identifies methods and actions recommended to build a strong foundation foryour project. Table 1.1 outlines a recommended continuum of steps for implementation.Table 1.1 Action steps and typical timeline to consider when planning a community gardenComponent/MethodAction StepsDevelop mission visionand case for support Research and identifypotential stakeholdersand partners Communicate withstakeholders andpartnersInitiate relationshipwith potentialstakeholders andpartners Talk with staff, donors, and community partners. Answerthese questions: Why is the program needed? Who willbenefit? Why is your agency the best one to undertake thisprogram? What are the long-term programming needs?Identify community leaders who share your vision.Review program user trends.Revise the mission and vision, as necessary.Develop an annual report format to summarize progress atthe end of the year.Solicit ideas from staff, end-users, and community leadersabout who might share interest in the program.Research corporations, local businesses, foundations,and other givers who have an interest in supporting theprogram.Seek influential people who are stakeholders to act asprogram champions.Build your advisory committee with business leaders andother local influential community members.Solicit ideas from partners, staff, volunteers, and advisorycommittees about contacts to potential givers who shareinterests with your program. Months1-3Months1-3/ongoingIntroduce the program to local media.Provide media tour, press kits, or news releases.Acquire testimonials from public end-users who willbenefit (See Chapter 9: Getting the Word Out.)Months1-3/ongoingSelect informal team of helpful community members,agency representatives, and business people to act asadvisory committee.Formulate agenda.Month 4Schedule community/partner meetings with currentbeneficiaries. Invite prospects to experience the program, reviewaccomplishments, and suggest improvements. Ask themwho else should be involved and ask for their involvementin new ways. Match language and outcomes to prospects’ interests. Send thank you letters for meetings/visits, contacts, andinterest (regardless of level or success). Talk with partners and funding entities about resourcesavailable to meet common goals and defray expenses. 2TimelinePrepare written materials for participants outlining programgeneral purpose and vision. Language should matchcommunity, program, and funders’ interests.Months 4/ongoingMonth 4Building a Community Garden in Your Park

Create buy-in Make “the ask” Be a good steward Incorporate outcomes from meetings; expand vision toinclude community and funding partners and identifyindividuals and funding organizations.With fundraising committee, ask for donations and sharesolicitation responsibilities.Invite press to cover progress and highlight participantsand outcomes.Plan ongoing meetings with fundraising committee.Celebrate successes.Send thank you notes and copies of press coverage to allcommittee members and prospects.Month 4Determine best strategic partnerships and key communityleaders to involve.Depending on the method used, write and submit grants,develop mailing list and pitch for direct mail, and meetwith prospects to ask for support.Month 5Determine appropriate level of financial commitment foreach identified funding organization.Month 5Celebrate successes, advise funding organizations aboutnew programs or benefits, invite new potential fundingorganizations to see the work in action, continue toencourage media coverage, and document successes.Continue to cultivate current partners and new stakeholdersthrough offering opportunities for continued involvement inshaping the program and sharing the credit. Celebrate smallsuccesses.Ensure donors are updated and invited to be involved indifferent and new ways.Review fundraising efforts and identify lessons learned forfuture campaigns.Month 8/ongoingAssign advisory committee member with relationship toidentified funding organizations.Month 4Determine appropriate level of financial commitment foreach identified funding organization.Month 5Determine who should make the “ask.”Jointly develop strong “case” for potential funders’involvement. Be specific about the level of commitmentrequested.Ask for feedback from any corporation or foundation thatdeclined funding.Use contact to build future relationship.Frame your project to complement the interests andphilosophies of your partners.Months5-8/ongoingFormalize relationships; ensure cultivation communicationsand progress reports are developed for each fundingorganization.Use evaluation tool (Community Garden Survey – seeAppendix C) to gauge progress and solicit ideas and inputfrom the community.Prepare annual report to summarize progress at the end ofeach year and attract new supporters.National Recreation and Park AssociationMonths9-12/ongoing3

Evaluation ToolsTo understand the impact your community garden could have on your community, you will need aseries of evaluation tools. To start, determine the baseline condition of the community. Data such asdemographics, health statistics, level of gardening interest, locations to obtain fresh food, and incomeand employment rate – among other factors – can be collected for your community garden area toestablish the baseline. Tailor your community garden survey to gauge the community garden’s impactagainst the baseline data. Evaluate your garden program yearly, and chart your data to look formeasurable impacts.4Building a Community Garden in Your Park

CHAPTER 2: HOW TO BUILD A COMMUNITY GARDENIdeally, your community garden site would be selected by its ability to provide the best growingenvironment. However, more often than not, community garden sites are limited to readilyavailable land (e.g., vacant plots, un-used rights-of-way, underutilized park property). Thetransformation of these underutilized spaces into community spaces enables us to gain so muchmore than just beautification. It provides a community with a central location for social gathering,communal project participation, and healthy outcomes.One may think that incorporating a community garden into your park can bring new operational,maintenance, and staffing challenges. This is not necessarily the case. Your peer park districts havedeveloped community gardens in their parks and have found that after implementation, the gardencan be supervised and managed by a Community Garden Advisory Board or other group. As youcontemplate a community garden in your park, consider the three steps outlined below.Step 1: Before You DigBefore you dig into community gardening in your park, it is helpful to understand some of thepotential opportunities and obstacles you may encounter. Table 2.1 illustrates both short and longterm obstacles that are commonly encountered. The accompanying opportunities look to help youovercome typical obstacles in your community.A. Look for a site within your parkland that does not compromise the existing activities andprograms of the park. Ideally, it should be near a park building, picnic shelter, or other area whereprogramming takes place or could take place. A nearby structure also provides shade for programparticipants or gardeners. Is your site close enough to existing restrooms, or will a portable toiletneed to be provided?B. Don’t rule out sites that are not parkland or contiguous to a park. Look to partner with yourcity or a private individual to lease vacant land, if necessary. Be cautious, however, since thesearrangements can sometimes be temporary. Plan and design your gardens appropriately for thetimeframe and look for a permanent arrangement with your city or within your district.C. Look for a site that can be easily accessed by park staff and the community throughout the dayand evening. Maintenance, watering, and supervision will be needed. Direct maintenance accessfor a car or pickup truck is also helpful to gardeners but not critical. Remember to providebarrier-free routes to allow everyone access to your garden.D. Look for a level site that has full, direct sun throughout the day (6 to 8 hours of sun). However,sloping sites can be terraced effectively for vegetable gardens and provide ways to conservewater.E. Look for a site that is adjacent to a water source such as a spigot on a park building or nearbywaterline. Other water sources – such as ponds, lakes, and rivers – can also be used to wateryour garden with proper permission. (You may need to check with the EPA or your local waterauthority for details.) Ideally, collect water from roofs in rain barrels for reuse in the garden.F. Look for a site that is well-drained and not soggy. Observe your site after a rain storm and takenote of where water settles and how long it takes for the water on the ground to be absorbed bythe soil. Avoid low spots when selecting a garden site. Wet soil can lead to fungal problems onyour plantings.National Recreation and Park Association5

G. Before you overturn any soil, call your local utility location service to mark the location of anyunderground utilities that could be located within your garden site. Damaged gas, water, andelectrical lines can be very dangerous and disruptive. Don’t forget to look above your garden sitefor any overhead electrical lines that could limit your clearance for equipment to work or be ahazard to your users. Adjust your garden site to work around all utilities.Table 2.1. Common Obstacles and Opportunities Related to Building a Community GardenShort-term ObstaclesOpportunitiesAvailability of landLook to partner with your city or private individuals to lease land for yourgarden, or consider container and vertical gardens on available park property.(See Chapter 1: Building Your Garden Community for partnering ideas andChapter 6: Edible Recreation for container garden ideas.)Availability ofinfrastructure (good soil,water, access, etc.)Lack of interest/Lack ofparental approvalLack of knowledgeLack of funding6Respond to the conditions of your site when planning your garden. All sitesare not created equal. Be conservative about staff and volunteers’ abilities tomaintain the garden and compensate for the site’s deficiencies. (See Chapter4: Organic and Sustainable for information on harvesting water and Chapter 6:Edible Recreation for container garden ideas.)Include the community in the discussion before you plan or break ground foryour garden. Get the word out and seek broad appeal. Communicate benefitsof community gardens to parents of potential participants. Invite families toparticipate in the launch of your garden and showcase their children’s efforts.Seek ways for the entire family to benefit from the program. (See Chapter 6:Edible Recreation for programming ideas that include the community andbuild support.)Include the community in the decision-making process before you plan orbreak ground for your garden. Include educational sessions and communityopen houses to inform your community of the benefits of community gardens.(See Chapter 6: Edible Recreation for programming ideas that include thecommunity and build support.)Identify community leaders and stakeholders who you can approachfor support, both in terms of money and political backing. In addition, acommunity garden project can be successfully accomplished with volunteerlabor, individual donations, and in-kind donations. (See Chapter 1: BuildingYour Garden Community.)Doesn’t fit community’sexisting culture or isperceived to be a nuisanceStart with educational programming that gets the word out about the benefitsof community gardens. Listen and record the community’s concerns. Tailoryour garden approach to fit the community’s unique characteristics andaddress the community concerns directly. (See Chapter 1: Building YourGarden Community.)Doesn’t fit existing parkgoals or master plan/Belief that individualsshould not profit frompublic landEstablish the goals for your community garden and evaluate these againstthose established for the park. Your site may not be appropriate if yourgoals are at cross purposes. Seek support from your park board and internalstaff. Overcome the public land for profit obstacle by defining a clearmission that enables people in need to profit from their gardens, or considerrestrictions on produce sales – encourage donations to food pantries or otherorganizations.Building a Community Garden in Your Park

Long-Term ObstaclesOpportunitiesSustained commitmentSustain initial commitment by fostering future growth. Energy andcommitment is strong in the beginning of the project. Sustaining long-termvolunteerism, participation, and resources can be a challenge. Continue toget the word out and sustain programming to introduce the next generationto community gardening and healthy living. Continue to communicate to thecommunity at-large. (See Chapter 1: Building Your Garden Community foraction steps and a timeline, Chapter 6: Edible Recreation for programmingideas, and Chapter 9: Getting the Word Out.)Maintenance andresponsibilityPests and vandalismImplement an effective maintenance plan. A maintenance plan is critical to thelong-term success of the garden. Volunteers and gardeners will come and go.Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the park district to provide a consistentand sustained effort throughout the life of the garden. Establish a communitygarden board or a

Evaluate your garden program yearly, and chart your data to look for measurable impacts. 5: National Recreation and Park Association: I: deally, your community garden site would be selected by its ability to provide the best growing : environment. However, more often than not, community garden sites are limited to readily

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