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    How To Start A Community Garden - Spokane WA

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    friends of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico
    This document provides instructions for starting a community garden, including gathering members, finding a site, designing and building the garden, creating rules and administration, obtaining insurance, ongoing management, and funding sources. Some key steps are finding an organized coordinator, forming committees, choosing a name and budget, identifying an appropriate outdoor space, conducting a soil test, designing plot layout and common areas, establishing membership terms, and considering vandalism prevention strategies. Local resources for Spokane gardens are also listed.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    How To Start A Community Garden - Spokane WA

    Uploaded by

    friends of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico
    149 views2 pages
    This document provides instructions for starting a community garden, including gathering members, finding a site, designing and building the garden, creating rules and administration, obtaining insurance, ongoing management, and funding sources. Some key steps are finding an organized coordinator, forming committees, choosing a name and budget, identifying an appropriate outdoor space, conducting a soil test, designing plot layout and common areas, establishing membership terms, and considering vandalism prevention strategies. Local resources for Spokane gardens are also listed.

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    How to Start a Community Garden - Spokane WA

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    This document provides instructions for starting a community garden, including gathering members, finding a site, designing and building the garden, creating rules and administration, obtaining insurance, ongoing management, and funding sources. Some key steps are finding an organized coordinator, forming committees, choosing a name and budget, identifying an appropriate outdoor space, conducting a soil test, designing plot layout and common areas, establishing membership terms, and considering vandalism prevention strategies. Local resources for Spokane gardens are also listed.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    149 views2 pages

    How To Start A Community Garden - Spokane WA

    Uploaded by

    friends of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico
    This document provides instructions for starting a community garden, including gathering members, finding a site, designing and building the garden, creating rules and administration, obtaining insurance, ongoing management, and funding sources. Some key steps are finding an organized coordinator, forming committees, choosing a name and budget, identifying an appropriate outdoor space, conducting a soil test, designing plot layout and common areas, establishing membership terms, and considering vandalism prevention strategies. Local resources for Spokane gardens are also listed.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Community gardens build healthy neighborhoods...

    HOW TO START A COMMUNITY GARDEN

    BENEFITS OF A
    COMMUNITY GARDEN...

    a
    Gardening gets your body
    There are many ways to start a community garden. Whether
    you're working with friends, neighbors, a school, or a local
    organization, there are many things you'll want to consider. The
    American Community Garden Association's website has great
    resources that can help. You’ll find checklists and in-depth
    A
    “ community garden
    is an area used for
    growing plants or
    animals, which has been
    collaboratively created and
    moving, improving your
    information on each of the following steps at: is maintained by members
    fitness and reducing your
    www.communitygarden.org/learn/starting-a-community- of the public. A community
    risk of disease.
    garden.php garden can take place on
    a
    Gardens provide public or private land and
    individuals and families 1. Gather Neighbors & Community Members can involve a broad cross-
    access to fresh, nutritious What kind of garden? Choose a well-oganized coordinator. Form section of the public, as in a
    food. committees to accomplish tasks. Consider a sponsor. Choose a neighborhood community
    name. Decide on a budget and administration. garden. Or it can involve
    a
    Community gardens can specific sectors of the
    increase property values 2. Find a Garden Site population, such as school
    in low-income Identify the owner. Do you need a lease agreement? Do you need garden that involves
    neighborhoods. insurance? Site should be relatively flat and get at least 6 full students, teachers, parents,
    hours of sun each day. Consider availability of water. Do a soil test and other community
    a
    Gardens get people for contaminants and fertility. members who support the
    outdoors where they can garden for education. In the
    talk, get to know their 3. Create & Build Your Garden curriculum, the term
    neighbors, and keep track Clean the site. Develop your design. Gather your resources. community garden is
    of what is going on in the Organize work crews. How large should plots be? How will plots generally used as a broad,
    neighborhood. be laid out? Mark plots with names. Plan for a storage and catch-all term. Sometimes,
    compost area. Will the garden be organic? more descriptive names are
    a
    Gardening is a mentally used, such as school garden
    stimulating activity that 4. Create the Gardening Community or neighborhood garden.”
    may reduce depression. Are there conditions for membership? Will there be dues? How
    will plots be assigned? Will some things be done cooperatively ~ Growing Communities Curriculum
    a
    Gardens inspire other (e.g., composting)? If someone leaves, who will get their plot?
    The American Community Gardening
    Association, 1 (877) 275-2242
    changes in a How will you deal with vandalism? Will there be a children’s plot? www.communitygarden.org

    neighborhood, increasing Will there be regular meetings? Will gardeners share tools? Will
    community pride. there be written rules, and how will they be enforced?
    a
    Community gardens add
    5. Insurance
    beauty and heighten
    Try working with an agent who deals with many different carriers
    awareness and
    (so you can get the best policy for your needs); is local and has
    appreciation for living
    already done this type of policy or one that works with social
    things.
    service agencies in the area. continued...
    a
    Gardens bring people
    back into contact with
    nature and the outdoors. Physical Activity & Nutrition Program
    1101 West College Ave., Spokane, WA 99201-2095
    509.324.1555 | TDD 324.1464
    HOW TO START A COMMUNITY GARDEN
    Continued...

    6. Managing the Garden


    What is your purpose? What are your short and long-term objectives? How are
    decisions to be made? Who chooses leaders and how? How will work be shared? Who
    does what? How will you raise money? Membership dues, fund raising, grants,
    sponsors? Are you open to change? Do you want to be incorporated, act as a club, or
    create a non-profit? Do you want formal bylaws? Go online to see sample guidelines
    and rules, as well as application forms, and more.

    7. Troubleshooting to reduce vandalism:


    w
    Make a sign for the garden; let people know who the garden belongs to. LEARN MORE:
    w
    Consider different types of fences.
    w
    Create a shady meeting area in the garden and spend time there.
    w
    Invite everyone in the neighborhood to participate from the very beginning. SPOKANE RESOURCES:
    Persons excluded from the garden are potential vandals.
    w
    Involve the neighborhood children in learning gardens. Spokane Community Gardens
    w
    Plant raspberries, roses or other thorny plants along the fence as a barrier. www.spokanegardens.com
    w
    Make friends with neighbors whose windows overlook the garden. Trade them Find local gardening information, a
    flowers and vegetables for a protective eye. gardeners’ listserve, and join monthly
    w
    Harvest all ripe fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Red tomatoes falling from meetings.
    the vines invite trouble.
    w
    Plant potatoes, other root crops or a less popular vegetable such as kohlrabi City of Spokane Water Department
    along the side walk or fence. Locate access to water from city water
    w
    Plant the purple varieties of cauliflower and beans or the white eggplant to mains, taps and meter applications:
    confuse a vandal. 625-6300
    w
    Plant a “vandal’s garden” at the entrance. Mark it with a sign: “If you must take
    food, please take it from here.” Spokane County Assessor's Office
    Locate ownership of a piece of land
    8. Funding: www.spokanecounty.org/assessor
    Funding can come from many sources limited only by the creativity of those
    developing the garden. Local businesses, churches, community organizations and WSU Spokane County Extension
    neighborhood councils close to the garden might help out with in-kind services, labor www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/
    or money. Some large companies have charitable foundations that make grants for Spokane/eastside/
    gardens especially if you are connected to a 501(c)3 organization. Check out the Free fact sheets, plant clinics, and Master
    Foundation Center's Foundation Directory at http://fconline.fdncenter.org/. Gardener classes. For more information or to
    schedule a class, call Pat Munts @ 477-2173
    or by email: [email protected]

    Second Harvest Inland Northwest,


    Plant a Row for the Hungry
    OTHER RESOURCES: www.2-harvest.org; 534-6678
    Starting a Community Vegetable Garden - New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension
    Service Bulletin H-246; http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H-246.pdf
    Excess produce and fruit from gardens can be
    donated to local food banks. To locate a food
    Community Garden Start-up Guide - University of California Cooperative Extension bank go to the website and look under “Get
    http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/garden/articles/startup_guide.html Help” for a list of food banks or call 534-
    Openlands Urban Conservation: Steps to Start a Garden on a Vacant Lot
    6678. When donating excess produce to the
    www.openlands.org/urbangreening.asp?pgid=108 food banks, ask for a Plant a Row for the
    Hungry receipt. This allows us to track how
    How Does Our Garden Grow? A Guide to Community Garden Success many pounds of produce are donated and
    Laura Berman; Canada: Foodshare Metro Toronto, 1997; (416) 392-1668
    you can get a $1.50/pound credit on your
    What Good Is Community Greening - David Malakoff federal taxes.
    American Community Gardening Association: 877-275-2242; www.communitygarden.org
    City of Spokane Comprehensive Plan -
    Open Space & Future Parks Planning
    www.spokaneplanning.org/Documents/citypl
    an/text/c11_neig.pdf

    Funds provided with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention through a partnership with the WA State Department of Health

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