Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens Business Plan 2015

Transcription

1 By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary.3 Company Description.4 Location..4 Organization & Structure.6 Services 7 Market Analysis (SWOT)..8 Demographics.8 Opportunities..9 Competitors & Partners..10 Challenges.10 Strengths 11 Financial Projections..11 By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 2

3 Executive Summary Mission Statement Fort Lauderdale Gardens seeks to improve the health of local residents by establishing community gardens, nutrition classes and exercise programs in local neighborhoods. Fort Lauderdale Gardens is not yet formed; this is a preliminary business plan for an initial pilot, test project. This pilot project is for the purpose of gathering more market information on residents of communities to be served specific needs, i.e. the preferred types of fruits and vegetables to cultivate in terms of nutritional needs, market demand and profitability. And the estimated number of participants in a given area. The pilot project will allow us to determine if there will be an over flow of produce, the number of possible customers for the overflow of fruits and vegetables, and the correct price points to sale the overflow. From the information gathered, we will be able to better understand the area Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens will be serving and have a better estimate on the (ROI) from a full scale garden before we begin. The initial steps are to raise funds and develop partnerships with public and private entities. The first goals are to create awareness for the cause and the need for improved health in local communities. By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 3

4 Company Description Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens is being formed in response to a major need: the necessity to improve the health of local residents, through the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The first local area intended for service is considered a food desert; there are few grocery stores in the area and even fewer places sell organic produce at affordable prices. In addition to providing produce, nutrition education, exercise sessions and jobs, this project may also have intangible benefits such as fostering community cooperation, pride and ownership of neighborhoods which in turn will reduce crime and raise the quality of life for local residences. The project's main vision is to increase local residences intake of fruits and vegetable, offer nutrition education classes, where residents especially children can learn and understand the reasons for eating fruits and vegetables. These classes will reinforce the desire to participate in the gardening program. This gardening project will provide opportunities for people to grow produce for themselves and resale the surplus to the public. Gardeners (participants) from other areas of Broward County will be encouraged and welcomed. Also, free and low cost fitness classes can be offered, in order to solidify the connection between diet and exercise in the minds and habits of local residents. Although volunteers will be recruited, Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens is intended to be a for a profit organization. Locations Neighborhoods to be serviced in Broward County A possible location for the first community garden can be in a central location in Broward County. The Broward Blvd. and Sunrise Blvd. area would be ideal for this project. These areas are considered food desserts and would benefit most from a community garden. A substantial portion of the population in these areas, have a high incident of diabetes. Type II diabetes is preventable and in many cases reversible through the intake of fruits and vegetables and moderate exercise. A random survey was taken approximately 18 months ago, from the residents in this area, it was concluded that there is a high incident of health challenges in this area such as diabetes and high blood pressure. [1 ] Disorders such as diabetes are financially costly and draining to the patient but most of this cost rolls over to the County through unpaid medical bills and decades of dependency on social services resources. Care for people with diagnosed diabetes accounts for more than 1 in 5 health care dollars in the U.S. [2 ] [1] Survey included approximately 100 residents living in the area, between the blocks of NW 6 th Street and NW 27 th Street. West of Andrews Blvd and East of NW 31 Ave. in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Broward County). These residents were asked if they or anyone they knew had diabetes. Approximately 60%-70% of the respondents answered, yes. These surveys were conducted in person, face to face. [2] Statistics from the American Diabetes Association By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 4

5 Many of the residents in Broward County will have a lifelong dependency on federal disability benefits due to the development of chronic disease. Although many of these residences become disabled due to the progression of chronic disease, hardly any of them will receive enough money to cover their medical and living expenses, further burdening the State and the County. These disorders can easily be prevented or addressed by adding more produce to the daily diet and moderate exercise. And so, a centrally located garden would be placed in an area where it is needed most and a centrally located garden would make accessibility from all areas of Broward County easier. One such location (A vacant lot approximately one acre) has been identified. After a brief conversation with the commercial realtor who has the property listed, an agreement with the owners of the property for leasing is possible. A second parcel of land approximately 2 ½ acres in a Northern section of Broward County has also been identified as a possible location for a community garden. By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 5

6 Organization & Structure Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens will need a paid full time botanic specialist (program manager) overseeing a part time botanic specialist. In addition volunteers can contribute many hours managing the garden sites. The following is a preliminary list of duties and functions that will be carried out by staff and volunteers Land Management & Acquisition Designing and building new gardens Fundraising and building community partnerships Operational Practices (Gardening plots) Registration, information and referral and fee collection Garden information management Botanic and organizational consulting Engage & Educate Preparing and holding educational outreach events Providing leadership training for volunteers and staff Developing children nutrition program Developing produce program Volunteer Managers will help oversee individual gardens by keeping track of vacancies, reporting maintenance issues and working with gardeners. Volunteers from the community and partner organizations will help gardeners by coordination and participating in advocacy, outreach, fundraising, and work parties to maintain garden commons. Volunteers and volunteer managers will report to the full time program manager. Duties may expand and become more detailed as project progress. By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 6

7 Services The Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens program will offers a blend of services ranging from building and maintaining gardens to providing opportunities for volunteerism and community service. The program will also provide gardening classes ranging from skill-builders for all ages to specialized programs that connect children and teens to the outdoors and environment. Central priority The central priorities are: educating residents on the importance of eating produce and incorporating a daily exercise regimen, community building, neighborhood beautification and economic development. Educating residents on diet and exercise Provide "how to" garden classes for children and adults Provide nutrition classes Offer free and low cost fitness/yoga sessions Community building Connect residents to each other and land/nature Build community through gardening Outdoor community center Family time Recreation Neighborhood revitalization and beautification Ft. Lauderdale Community gardens will utilize vacant land/lots that would otherwise not be in use. Such vacant areas are frequently the site of littering and illegal dumping creating a blight and financial cost for the County. Economic development Producing food that can be resold at a profit to community and neighboring produce markets Developing entrepreneurial skills/ learning self sufficiency Generating jobs Possibly reducing the cost of medical care due to improved nutrition Vacant County land or private land being use at highest and best use Reduce the dependence on social service programs County receiving tax revenue By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 7

8 Market Analysis & (SWOT) Demographics There are approximately 68,000 households in Ft. Lauderdale, 20% have children in the household. 95% of the households in Ft. Lauderdale have a household income of less than 200k. Less than 20% of households are homeowners. [3] Most common medical disorders suffered by Broward County residents: lower respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Adults 32% of Broward county adult residents are overweight. 28% are obese. This is a combined percentage of 65.2% of the total adult population that are either overweight or obese. Youth 13.7% of Broward County students are overweight. 9.5% are obese. This is a combined percentage of 23.2% of the total youth population that are either overweight or obese. In addition to this substantial overweight/obesity statistic, 11% of Broward County students currently use cigarettes and 37.2% currently use alcohol. 1 in 4 people have been diagnosed with a chronic disease in the United States. This is a National average. The comparative statistic for the number of Broward County residents diagnosed with a chronic disease is not available (or not found). The following is a list of the most common chronic disease hospitalization in Broward County Hospitals. [4 ] Aids/HIV Asthma Congestive heart failure Hypertension Diabetes Most, if not all of these chronic diseases can be addressed or improved with better nutrition. [3] [4] Statistics from Community Health Needs Assessment 2013 report, Holy Cross Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, FL By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 8

9 Opportunities An adequate cluster of small and mid-sized vacant land and lots are available throughout Broward County especially in the central Ft. Lauderdale area, [5] which is where there is a great need for improved community health, through the consumption of fruits and vegetables. There is limited market information about people who are not currently being served by a community garden in Broward County. Since this market information to date is not available. It would be advisable to possibly begin this project on a smaller scale, assess the needs of the community to be served, and then tailor the Garden project to participates and customers. This market information can be gathered at the beginning of this preparation process, prior to beginning the actual larger project. Reasons why residents typically participate in community gardens 1. There is not enough land to grow food where they live (apartment and condo dwellers). 2. Residents do not know how to maintain a garden on their own. 3. There is a need for low cost fruits and vegetables. 4. Community activity, chance to get to know neighbors, socialize. 5. Possibly donate or resale the excess produce for a tax deduction or a profit. Community gardens can address the following community challenges: Improve health of residents through access of produce thereby possibly lessening the cost of overflow of unpaid hospital bills to County, State and private sector hospitals Reduce crime in area Improve the quality of life for participants and residents in the area Remove blights or make use of unused vacant land/lots Create jobs (managerial and logistic as well as traditional "farmer" type jobs). Trends One in 10 Americans has diabetes, and if present trends continue, one in three will suffer from the disease by the year 2050, and already this chronic and often debilitating illness costs the country s health care system a staggering $174 billion a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interest in urban farming and gardening is increasing along with growing awareness of the link between diet and health. [5] Small and midsized land and lots are defined here as +/- 1 acre. Small and midsized land and lots are defined here as +/- 1 acre. Small and midsized land and lots are defined here as +/- 1 acre. Small and midsized land and lots are defined here as +/- 1 acre. By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 9

10 Competitors & Partners There are several other local "community garden" organizations and non-profits in Broward County that provide gardening plots and gardening education in various forms and price ranges. All of these organizations are relatively new and they are currently servicing a very small segment of Broward's total population. The average listed price for gardening plots in Broward County is between $15-$55 a year. Some of these community gardens are full and have waiting lists for people wanting a gardening plot. Some of the community gardens are specific on which segment of the population or age groups they service i.e., classes for children but not for their parents. None of the gardening organizations are currently servicing the area this project intends to service. Once specific community needs are identified in regards to specific and detailed needs of the community that will be serviced by our community garden, we will likely identify a broad, untapped opportunity for our project. With the information gathered and key aspects learned we will be able to duplicate our project throughout the area. Challenges Many of the current community gardening organizations are possibly receiving their main funding from the city in which their garden is located and/or the County. Since this plan is in the preliminary phase, it will be an ongoing challenge and a main focus for Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens to secure partners as the project progresses. Fundraising and events will be aggressively implemented. Fundraising Activities 1. Sales (contribution) letter to private sector companies 2. Magazine Sales (online fundraising website) 3. Events in local areas (Nutritional supplements product sales; samples, edible prepared healthy baked goods, frozen yogurt made with fruits and vegetables etc.) The local events will have several benefits: Raise money for the project. Provide opportunities to create awareness of the cause and disseminate information about the project. Allow us to gain feedback and gather marketing information from the community. This project may qualify for grants that cover neighborhood revitalization. And the jobs produced may be considered "green jobs". By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 10

11 Strengths Community gardens are systemic within the communities they serve, as they affect many areas of the community from economic to social. Community gardens further the goals of larger social and environmental movements by improving community health through nutrition, providing jobs and creating safer communities. Community gardens are generally strongly supported by community members, neighbors, agencies and local private sector companies who have a vested interest in improving the health of their employees and customers. Broward County s year round warm weather makes gardening attractive to residents and the recruitment of volunteers easier. Vacant land and lots otherwise unused would generate jobs and revenue for the county. Financial Projections The estimated initial startup cost is between $2,500-$8,000. This estimate does not include salaries for a project manager (botanist) and a part-time assistant botanist. These estimates were taken from already existing neighborhood community gardens of comparative size to the Fort Lauderdale Community Gardens intended project. At this time there are no estimated profitability projections until a pilot project is initiated and completed; where such questions as the following can be answered: which type of produce to cultivate according to demand, the expected amount of excess produce yielded from lots, the cost and possible price points, and residents nutritional necessity for certain produce. Funding will be used for the following 1. Land costs 2. Basic soil analysis 3. Equipment/tools 4. Crops 5. Plants and seeds 6. Water, storage or access to running water 7. Hand tools storage facility for tools References Portland Oregon Parks and Recreation Twin Cities Community Gardens Sustainability Plan 2005 Clemson Cooperative, Starting a Community Garden Holy Cross hospital, Ft. Lauderdale, FL American Diabetes Association Florida Health Broward County nytimes.com, Health November 10, 2010 By Lilah Shahid, Ardyss Distributor Page 11