+ Putting the Community in Community Garden Its More than Just - PDF document

10/20/15 ¡ + Putting the Community in Community Garden It’s More than Just Food! + Agenda n 1.Why should churches even consider building a community garden? n 2. Should your church build a community garden? n 3. What do you need for a successful community garden? n 4. Considerations for getting started. n 5. Fun elements to add n 6. How gardening builds community + 1. Food and Faith n We have a biblical commandment to tend the earth and take care of it. n In tending the earth, we have a better understanding of the parables of Jesus. Gardening is also incredibly therapeutic. n Social Justice issue : many people do not have access to local, affordable, fresh vegetables. 1 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + Good books about Food & Faith + 2. Before you build… Do your research n Is there a desire for a community garden? n Do you think there is sustained interest that will last past the initial dig? n Instead of building a new community garden, think first - Is there a garden nearby that your church can help lend resources to? This may be a GREAT time for new partnerships with other churches or entities. Don’t build a garden just so you can “own” it. n Where are natural partnerships that could be built for the continued work of the community garden? + What you need for a community garden: Place. 2 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + Things to consider for space n Is it near electricity? n Is it near water? This is a big one. n Is there too much or too little shade? n What’s the ground like? n Will you have access to tools? Get a gardener to look at the space. + What you need for a community garden: People. + People n Volunteers can come from anywhere. n Think about how to make your garden the most accessible place possible (i.e. wheel chair height beds, kid’s gardening area) 3 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + What you need for a community garden: Partnerships + What you need for a community garden: Partnerships Possible places to look for partnerships: • Local Universities • Ex) Mercer University – Soil testing, student volunteers, professors who care • UGA Extension Center – Office in many counties • Extension Offices have Master Gardening Programs that can give you great advice and might even have a gardener to lend to you that’s working on their hours to receive their certification. • They also have GROWING CALENDARS! • Neighborhood Associations • If your church is in a neighborhood association or business district, that’s a natural place to look for partnerships. Ours is the Beall’s Hill Community Garden at Centenary + So you decide to build a garden… Decisions you need to make: 1. Will you have raised beds or will you do row gardening in the ground? Considerations: how is the soil? Were there old buildings on the site? Do you live in a polluted area? Beds are simple to construct. Wooden beds – 5 years life, cheap, pretty Cement beds – long life, expensive, can be pretty. 4 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + Decisions you need to make pt. 2: 2. Will you go organic? Perks: - Kids can eat the food right out of the garden - Good for the environment. Cons: Have to think creatively about things like how to kill ants in the garden. No pesticides mean no weed killer. + Decisions you need to make pt. 3: 3. How will you define community garden? Multiple ways: -Community work days -Bed rental - Pay for space? - Communal Beds + Fun Elements to Add 5 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + How Gardens Help Build Community n Work Days n Integration of folks across socio-economic barriers + Taste of the Garden Event 6 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + Cooperation and Sharing + A Place to Have Events + Grand Openings 7 ¡

10/20/15 ¡ + Things we are hoping for in the future n How can we do agri-jobs? n Sell food to restaurants? At farmer’s markets? n Should we move towards animals? n Bees, sheep, chickens? n Better Integration with schools? After school programs? n Creating our own better soil through communal composting + Resources • For Gardening Resources: • UGA Extension Office - http://extension.uga.edu/about/county/index.cfm • Growing Calendar: • http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C943 • Experience Works (to get a gardener if there’s one in your area looking for work): • http://www.experienceworks.org/site/PageServer • Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith – Fred Bahnson, Simon & Schuster, 2013. • Good Food –Grounded Practical Theology – Jennifer Ayres, Baylor Press, 2013. • Will Allen’s Growing Power- http://www.growingpower.org • Georgia Interfaith Power and Light – www.gipl.org 8 ¡