When any group of people gets together to garden, it could be called a "community garden." Community gardens are usually formed by non-profit organizations, city recreation or parks departments, educational bodies, community gardening associations, church groups, businesses, or even individuals.
Usually a small group gets together, decides there is a need for a community garden, then establishes a non-profit to oversee the creation of the community garden. After creating the bylaws and official paperwork, as well as electing directors, the group will approach landowners or government sources to find the site for the community garden. The garden might even begin with a landowner's donation of land. Or the land could be leased, rented, or purchased.
People in the community then sign up for a garden plot. This will be "their" garden plot within the community garden. Typically plots might run from 5' X 5' to as large as 15'.
If you are interested in community gardens, your search should begin with the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). ACGA is "a bi-national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. The Association recognizes that community gardening improves the quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education."
ACGA:
• promotes the formation and expansion of national and regional community gardening networks,
• develops resources in support of community gardening and greening,
• encourages research on the impact of community greening, and
• conducts educational programs.
Community gardens can provide all the wonderful benefits given in the ACGA statement above. However, there can be problems associated with community gardens. These include after-hours vandalism of gardens, theft of produce, unlikable "neighbor" gardeners, incompetent management, etc. Read some of the "nightmare stories" about community garden experiences on Garden Web's forum to see some issues others have faced in community garden situations.
If you are interested in starting a community garden, you might want to download the ACGA's informative guide, Starting a Community Garden. Click here to view some the ACGA's list of educational materials, or visit the official website at www.communitygarden.org.
For community gardens throughout the United Kingdom, see my article, Community Gardens and City Farms.
Gather additional ideas and information on community gardens from Ecology Center,Berkeley community garden programs.
Who knows? You could be the perfect person to help your community reap the benefits of a community garden, while avoiding the pitfalls noted above!
