What is a Community Garden?

A Community Garden is described as a piece of land, public or private, that is gardened collectively by a group of people. The garden plots can be individual or shared plots, meaning each individual gardens either at their own plot or the entire group gardens the plot(s). At the time of writing this guide, there are currently over 20 community gardens throughout the city of Warren. Many of these gardens offer a place for community members to grow food as well as space for pollinators.

Over the years, other gardens have sprung up across the country such as school gardens (Early 1900’s), wartime gardens (1917), thrift gardens (1930’s) and victory gardens (1940’s). Many of these started due to a recession or war that caused many people to be without jobs and food.

TNP’s GROW Program primarily provides technical support to the following types of gardens, though technical support is not limited to the types of gardens on this list. Please note that some of the gardens may have some overlapping characteristics.

Traditional - A traditional community garden is comprised of individual plots (designated, marked areas of the garden) that are cultivated by individuals and/or a family primarily for their own use. Each plot is the responsibility of the gardener(s) assigned to that section of the community garden shares the duties and responsibilities of the garden.

Market - A market garden is land used for cultivation and subsequent sale of fruits, vegetables, plants, trees, flowers, and herbs.

Specialty - A specialty garden is designed and maintained by a specific population of distinct characteristics for unique purpose(s). Some examples of these types of gardens are: children’s garden, retirement, housing community’s garden, youth after-school/summer program garden, and counseling.

Why would you want to start a community garden?

People and communities start gardens that are available to the public for a variety of reasons. Some are started because it gives families/individuals that lack adequate space at their home, the opportunity to garden and grow their own food when they otherwise would not be able to. Some people start gardens to bring the community together or to be involved in the community. Others want to grow food that can be given to a food pantry. Others want to create education opportunities around the garden. The first step of creating a community garden is to look at why you want to start it, this will help later when you create the garden’s mission statement.

What is the difference between Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening?

Community gardening is a form of Urban Agriculture so there really is no difference between the two. If you are performing traditional agriculture in a non-traditional urban environment, than you are practicing urban agriculture. Urban agriculture can also include bee keeping, aquaponics, hydroponics, homesteading and other forms of agriculture both traditional and non-traditional for personal or commercial use.

How do you start a community garden?

Starting a community garden takes time and hard work. If you are thinking about starting a community garden, do your homework. Lots of it! Take the time to think about why you want to start a garden. Think about how much time and work will go into it. Think about who can help with it. Many gardens start with a great idea but then fizzle out because of lack of participation or management. Start small and then expand later. To help new community garden leaders, TNP has created an easy to follow application process.

Before Starting the Application

Research other Projects

Research other projects. Look into how other people are managing and stewarding community garden spaces. It’s best to get a first hand look into what it takes to manage a community garden so a leader can get a good idea of what it takes to sustain a project. This is where joining an existing garden can come in handy. If you join a garden that is already established, the garden leader can give you helpful information before you start your own project.

What type of garden do your fellow neighbors want?

It’s important to give people who live in the area an opportunity to give their feedback. There are bound to be some people who do not like the idea of a garden but giving the community a chance to determine this for themselves will help garner neighborhood support. Including everyone in the beginning steps of establishing a new garden will make them feel more invested in the project. A community garden without community is just a garden. Use this process to hear ideas and concerns, to even get people who are interested in helping to design and plan the garden.

The type of garden that is started will depend on the purpose of the garden and who is involved in the garden. If most people around the garden would rather see a flower garden than a vegetable garden, compromise and make a dedicated area to flowers and another space for vegetable growing. A garden can be many things and does not have to fit into a single mold. Gather as much feedback from the meeting and neighbors as you can, so you can use those ideas to decide what type of garden you are going to start and then make a plan. Many community gardens have more than just vegetable growing, they also feature picnic areas, children’s gardens, perennial areas with berries, little free libraries, and flower beds. Many things can be added to the garden as you move further along in the project and more people begin to support the garden.

Hold A Community Meeting

This is the best chance to answer the previous question, “What type of garden do your fellow neighbors want?” One of the most important things you will do when starting a community garden is to gather the community. You want to have a good base of people who are interested in the project and willing to help. Are there other people who want to help establish the garden or help manage the garden? Having a committee or a small group of people that can help with the tasks of managing the garden can also improve the likelihood that the project will continue if you have to step away in the future. If you have a community association that meets regularly, reach out and see if they will add a space for you to explain your project to garner support in their agenda. This will ensure a built-in audience of concerned residents that may want to participate.

Finding a site in the Community

Finding a place to garden is not hard with all the vacant land available in the city. The first step is to find out who owns the property that your garden group is interested in. A quick search on the Trumbull County Auditor website can show who owns the parcel.

Trumbull County Land Bank - The Trumbull County Land Bank has many vacant lots available. Houses affected by blight that are not salvageable are demolished and vacant land is left in its place. These vacant lots can be used for greening projects such as community gardens or pocket parks. Raised bed gardening is recommended on these lots due to the demolition process and any possible leftover contaminants. There are many of these sites in Warren that are being used as gardens or parks.

Churches - Churches are a good place to start a garden. If you belong to a church already or there is a church in your neighborhood that has a little land, think about starting a church garden that the churchgoers can all help with. A church garden can be utilized by the children and adults.

Existing Gardens - There are opportunities to join existing gardens in order gain some experience and knowledge about community gardening.

Create a Garden Plan

Once you have some interested people, potential land and an idea of what type of garden you want to install, you can begin with the planning of the garden. You will want to map out any trees or structures that will interfere with sunlight.

You will want to decide the size of the raised beds and the locations where they will be installed. If you plan to add other features to the garden, add these to the plan to get a better idea of how things will look.

Some specific items to consider when creating a garden plan include:

Drainage - When making the garden plan and deciding where to garden, you want to see how the drainage is on the lot. If water gathers in certain areas, those might not be the best areas to place beds. Raised beds will help with drainage but you still don’t want to place those beds in an area that gathers water. If there are low spots were you want to place beds, there is the option to get some more fill dirt or use extra at the garden to raise the low spots.

Water Access - Water access is needed at the garden for several reasons, one being to water plants when there is no rain. You can also use rain barrels if there’s a place at the garden for collection such as a shed room or steep

Sunlight - When choosing a site to garden, sunshine is everything. Without sunshine your plants will not grow well and some plants may grow but the fruits may not ripen. You want to look at where the sun shines on the lot. Are there any trees near where you would be planting? Are there houses or buildings that might block sunshine? If possible visiting the site several times a day and taking a picture of where the sun lands can help you identify how much sun the lot gets and where the light falls. This can be very helpful in determining where to place your beds or even where to place fruit trees or perennials. Everything grown needs a different amount of sunshine per day. Without it plants will not reach their full potential.

Completing the GROW Community Garden Leader Application

Mission - Creating a mission for your community garden is a must. The mission is what the garden wishes to accomplish by existing. It could be about food access, neighborhood beautification or community engagement. The mission will be used to communicate the goal of your garden and is also used when applying for funding.

Budget - A garden budget can help you plan for any expenses that might occur. When you apply for grants or do any fundraising, you will want to keep track of the money and receipts to show how the money is spent. It is a good idea to have a yearly budget to get supplies for the garden and gardeners every year. Compost or soil amendments should be added every year to keep improving.

Canvassing - You will want to canvass the neighborhood around the garden and talk to people. You should never go canvassing alone. Find a partner for this task. You will want to get support for the garden and also give people a chance to state their opposition or concerns for the project. Many times people have a preconceived idea about a community garden, by educating people about your plan and ideas you can put their fears or concerns to rest and they may be supportive of your garden.

Show everyone you talk to a copy of the plan for the garden and get feedback. You want to educate the community about what the plan is and how the garden will function. Be open to any ideas that others may give you. The garden should be a community project

When canvassing the neighborhoods and showing your plan for the garden, you will want to gather at least 10 signatures of people that are in support of the garden and the plan. These people should live around the area where the garden will be. These signatures will show that you have support for the project and interest from people in the area.

While gathering signatures and showing the plan, you will want to invite the people you talk to participate in the project. The more people involved in the project the more likely it will continue to grow and become an asset to the neighborhood it is located in. People who are involved in the project and live nearby are more likely to keep an eye on the garden as well.

Knock on as many doors as you possibly can. Start at the location where the project will be, then go several streets in all directions. Talk to as many people as possible. There could be people several streets away from the garden that would be interested in participating and might not know about the garden. Even if you only need 10 signatures, the more you get and the more people you talk will be a benefit to the project and the success of the garden in the future.

Other Questions to Consider

• Why did you choose the site?

• Project Description

• How will your project benefit the community? What problem(s) are you trying to address with this project?

• Who will be involved with this project besides your primary and alternate contacts? This answer could include individuals, groups, partner organizations, or partner businesses.

• What do you anticipate needing for the installation of the project? (materials, tools, labor, etc.)

• What long-term maintenance do you anticipate being needed for this project and who will be responsible for it?

• How will your group handle the costs of maintenance needed to sustain the project? How will you acquire additional funding if needed?

After Application Approval

File any Required Variances - Variances may need to be filed with the city depending on any structures that will be added. Storage sheds or greenhouses will need a variance filed. Checking with the city ordinances can help you determine if a variance needs to be filed. Warren City Codified Ordinances can be found at http://whdrane.conwaygreene.com/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=whdrane:OHWarren

Soil Tests - These should be done to determine the quality of the soil that you are starting with. They can advise you if your soil is deficient in nutrients and minerals. There are many places that you can get soil testing done. Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership’s GROW Program offers free soil nutrient test kits for community gardeners. These tests also include an interpretation of results from the OSU Extension-Trumbull County.

Schedule a Volunteer Day - You will want to pick a day and schedule a workday to build the garden and infrastructure. You will want to canvass again and let people know about the workday, as well as call anyone that was interested at the meeting. Before the workday, make sure you have all the supplies, materials and make a plan out for the day. This way when your gardeners and volunteers show up, you can get everyone to work. You should already have a garden plan that shows where everything should be installed.

Assign Plots to Gardeners - Once everything is built and installed you can assign plots to gardeners. There is a grid available in the appendix that will allow you to mark the plots and keep track of who is where.

Have Fun! - Take a step back and celebrate all that you have accomplished with your community. Through a party, send out announcement on social media and to the local newspaper, enjoy a meal with fresh veggies from the garden.

Next Steps and the Are You Ready Check List

Credit: Community Garden Best Practices Toolkit: A Guide for Community Organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador

Use the following checklist to determine if you are ready to start a community garden project in your neighborhood.

1. Identify a Group

____Is there interest in the community for a garden?

____Do you know who will be using the garden?

____Families and children

____Seniors

2. Form a Garden Committee

____Are there volunteers willing to take on the different roles?

____Is there a Garden Coordinator?

3. Establish Partnership

____Have you identified partners with various experience and skills?

____Gardening

____Landscaping

4. Select a Site

____Is the site accessible to the participants and is it large enough to allow for growth?

____Does the site have favorable wind, sun, and shade conditions?

____Has the soil been tested for nutrients and contaminants?

____Do you have the land owner’s permission?

____Is there access to a water source and other amenities?

5. Look for Funding and Sponsorships

____Membership Fees

____Corporate sponsorship

____Local business donations

6. Plan and Design the Garden

____Have you chosen a garden model? (Collective or Allotment)

____Will raised beds, sheds, greenhouses or other infrastructure be needed?

____Have you made a garden map?

7. Determine Garden Guidelines

____Have you created garden guidelines?

____Have participants signed off on the guidelines?

____Are the guidelines posted in a visible location at the garden?

8. Start your Community Garden!

____Programming & Events

____Education

____Neighborhood residents

____The general public

____Government grants

____Fund raising projects