What is a Community Garden?
Any piece of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban, or rural. It can grow flowers, vegetables or community. It can be one community plot, or can be many individual plots. It can be at a school, hospital, or in a neighborhood. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to “urban agriculture” where the produce is grown for a market.
Benefits of Community Gardens:
- Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
- Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
- Stimulates Social Interaction
- Encourages Self-Reliance
- Beautifies Neighborhoods
- Produces Nutritious Food
- Reduces Family Food Budgets
- Conserves Resources
- Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
- Reduces Crime
- Preserves Green Space
- Creates income opportunities and economic development
- Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
- Provides opportunities for inter-generational and cross-cultural connections
Has your city, town, or community incorporated provisions to implement a community garden where you live? If not, check out the “Town of Warrensburg Comprehensive Plan and Waterfront Revitalization Strategy” draft plan. Specifically, scroll to section E.3. on pages 30 & 31 to see the wording used. Work with your local planning board to implement a community garden plan!
Are you interested in organizing a community garden?
Try these links to help you get started:
Sample guidelines from the Keene Community Garden
The American Community Garden Association
The Community Garden Start-Up Guide
Many thanks to Adirondack Harvest board member and president Teresa Whalen for her invaluable contributions to this page.
