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Why Start a Community Garden

Our Model: Sustainable Neighborhood Building

We believe that a community garden can be a vital part to any neighborhood rebuilding project. With local groups and residents in participation, neighborhoods can build a sustainable community with many benefits that contribute to the quality of urban living.

Economic Development

  • Outdoor community activity acts as a deterrent to crime and vandalism
  • Draws people to neighborhoods that are neglected or forgotten
  • Increases property values in immediate vicinity
  • Commerce can be generated by the community through a production garden for vegetables, flowers and related products

Regional Planning

  • Brings open space to city, and reduces pressure for sprawl on edges of town

Human Services

  • Produces fresh food for a community who has limited access
  • Provide management and job experience for volunteers to seek entry-level work

Personal Health

  • Healthy outdoor activity
  • Nutritional impact of fresh food
  • Potential vehicle for specific health messages to be delivered (eg. Diabetes Garden that could feature vegetables high in fiber and calcium, both of which have been shown to be helpful in controlling the symptoms of the condition.)

Public Health

  • Help community meet each other and understand each other, a critical aspect of disaster preparedness.
  • Central location to communicate public health messages to hard-to-reach populations

Community Building

  • Face-time with neighbors helps build trust, communication and common ownership of neighborhood.
  • Wide range of activities and tasks required to accommodate all ages, volunteer availability and skill levels

Education

  • School children can learn science, nutrition and business
  • Volunteers can learn management and gardening/landscaping skills

Government Access/Civic Participation

  • Residents to see direct involvement of government and volunteers in improving their neighborhood
  • When designed to include a covered meeting area, can be a neighborhood for presentations by civic leaders and health and safety officers

Arts, Culture and Tourism

  • Street art and garden design can reflect the melting pot of ethnicities and culture that make cities a desirable place to visit and live