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

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+

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

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• 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.

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+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.

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+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)

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+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.

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+Decisions you need to make pt. 2:

• 2. Will you go organic?

Perks:

• Kids can eat the food right
• ut 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:

• Bed rental
• Communal Beds
• Community work days
• Pay for space?

+Fun Elements to Add

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+How Gardens Help Build Community

n Work Days

n Integration of folks across

socio-economic barriers

+ Taste of the Garden Event

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+ Cooperation and Sharing +A Place to Have Events + Grand Openings

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+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