How to Start a Garden Project with Gateway Greening Orientation for Community Gardens and Youth Gardens
agenda What is a Community Garden? Gateway Greening 101 Essentials of starting a Community Garden Project Collaborating with GGI to start a Community or Youth Garden On-Going Support from Gateway Greening
What is a Community Garden? A community garden is a unique space where neighbors and residents can come together around common goals to build community and grow food. It s an inclusive community space; it reflects the personality and tells the story of the gardeners and the neighbors that surround it.
What is a Community Garden? It is a neutral, equalizing space, where people from all backgrounds gather, meet, and share. A community garden has the real potential to be a neighborhood asset and create strong ties between neighbors and surrounding communities.
Types of Community Gardens 1. What are you planning to grow? 2. What kind of activities are you hoping to happen at the community garden?
Garden 2015 Orientation Garden Orientation
About Gateway Greening Gateway Greening educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture.
What Does Gateway Greening DO? We Educate and Empower People Using urban agriculture as a tool for community development.
Gateway Greening s Funding 2014 Revenue - $1,232,760 Expenses- $1,101, Administration 14% Fundraising 13% Program Services 73%
Collaborate with Gateway Greening to Start a Community Garden
Gateway Greening Financial Transparency We serve projects on a first come, first serve basis. Average money spent on a first year project is roughly $1,000. Once annual finances run out, we must wait for new funding streams to continue working with garden projects on a rolling basis.
Garden Eligibility New Community or Youth Garden o Must be within St. Louis City or County o Must not be within.25 miles of an existing community garden o Youth gardens must have parent and/or community leadership o Preference will be given to historically underserved areas
Expectations of garden group Actively participate in completing a series of garden planning milestone activities Complete 15 volunteer hours at a neighboring GGI garden project prior to receiving garden supplies Contribute to the fundraising plan and leverage existing resources among the broader community
Planning to work with GGI Each garden project will be assigned a staff member Staff will follow up within two weeks after orientation with phone interview and to schedule initial garden group meeting GGI will work with new projects on a rolling timeline Garden Milestones o Groups must complete planning tasks and activities to move on to additional planning phases Staff time, resources and tools will be available to groups for accomplishing activities Each project is different and will progress at its unique pace
Key Planning Phases: Phase 1: Outreach, Organizing and Critical Mass Phase 2: Planning and Support Phase 3: Planning the Physical Environment Phase 4: Construction of the garden, Sustainability and Growth
Resources & Tools Start a Community Food Garden: The Essential Handbook by LaManda Joy How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle Gateway Greening Milestones and Activity Resources
Phase 1: Outreach, Organizing and Critical Mass Build your group and determine the purpose of your project: Hold first community meeting Minimum 5 adult garden representatives Understand Asset Based Community Development Conduct Asset Mapping planning exercise Develop garden mission and goals Consider starting to plan for volunteer hours Phase 1 Milestones: o Membership List o Mission Statement and Project Goals o Reciprocity Map and Letters of Support o Project Site Background
Required: 10-15 Adults with diverse backgrounds and experience, preferably living near the community garden project
Group Considerations: Diversity Garden Experience Time Commitment Resources Goals and Motivation Commitment to Place
Partnerships and Community Resources Think beyond just your core garden group members Embrace a wider community garden by asking who beyond the core group is benefiting, and how can they support the garden project? Conduct an Asset-Mapping Exercise
North Grand Neighborhood Services Garden Orientation CHIPS Church Youth Camp Sisters of Charity
Phase 2: Planning and Support Flesh out the structure of the garden group Identify garden leaders Develop garden guidelines Specify how the garden will logistically be run and used Phase 2 Milestones: o All Gardens: o o Garden leader names and contact info o Roles and responsibilities defined o Garden guidelines Youth Gardens: o School/youth institution demographics o Garden teaching plan and schedule, including 3 garden-based lessons o Summer maintenance plan
Group Structure Garden Leaders Garden Roles Garden Guidelines A document to hold everyone accountable. Outlines Expectations of membership Conflict Resolution Leadership Transition
Group Considerations for Schools Form a Garden Committee o Present to the parent body o Hold garden meetings o Take notes, identify action items, and assign responsibility o Engage parents, volunteers, teachers and other staff in specific roles o Create a leadership transition plan for when the garden leaders leave the school or organization o How will you organize and maintain the garden during summer months? Do you need a school garden coordinator? o Part time staff person, volunteer, AmeriCorps?
Phase 3: planning the Physical Environment Design and prepare for the garden installation Develop a multi-year garden site plan Plan for community events, garden fundraisers and education/ teaching space requirements Create a garden budget Consider site insurance requirements and other unexpected expenses Attend GGI Garden Leader Volunteer training and Youth Garden Institute trainings
The Plan This is not just a garden sketch, but a comprehensive plan for all aspects of your community/youth garden.
Garden Plan Before you break out your graph paper, revisit: Who s gardening and why? What do you want to grow? How do you want to grow it? Individual Family Plots or Communal Beds? How much do you want to grow? Do you need a lot of one thing for a food pantry? Do you want fruits and perennial crops? In what ways is the selected garden site appropriate or not?
Garden Site considerations Ownership Past Use Current Use Future Use/Risk of Development Size Visibility Plant Needs (Sunlight, water, soil)
Garden Orientation
Graphic Courtesy of SWT Design
Graphic Courtesy of SWT Design
Graphic Courtesy of SWT Design
Special Plan Considerations for Schools Where will the produce go, especially during summer months? How will you reconcile the growing season with the academic calendar? What is needed to create effective outdoor classrooms (e.g., seating, bed size and height, multiple stations and space beyond traditional raised beds)? Be sure to get teacher input on design considerations. What are some possible sources of funding or in-kind resources for the project, and what are the institution s aesthetic standards? (i.e., are straw bales and old electricity spool tables OK?)
ADDITIONAL TRAINING Garden Leader Volunteer Training: Required training available monthly to network garden leaders and empower them to host outside volunteer groups in their gardens. *Youth Garden Institute: Youth garden groups are required to attend a minimum of three monthly PD events.
What to include in your garden budget Year 1 of your plan, typically including the nuts & bolts of gardening: Raised Beds & Soil Hardscape Elements Tools Insurance costs (if applicable) and ongoing maintenance/general supply expenses
Hardscape Elements Garden Sign Compost Bin Systems Tool Sheds Arbors Waterlines Fences
Notes about Hardscape Major hardscape (e.g., waterline, fence) is highly unlikely to be awarded in a garden s first couple years and typically require a 50/50 match. Work with your Alderperson and community volunteers Scouts, Mitzvah Projects, etc. Review and revise your community partnership map to meet major garden needs.
Installation process: get everyone involved! Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
Photo by St. Louis County Library, Dave Moore
On-Going Gateway Greening Support We re not just about building the initial garden, we are a year round resource for our community and youth garden projects.
Garden Orientation
Community Resource and Library Gardens Bell Demonstration Garden Prairie Commons Community Garden Cliff Cave Community Garden 13 th Street Community Garden McPherson Community Garden Wayside Community Garden
Additional Educational Opportunities Youth Garden monthly professional development series & intensive 3-day June training Pint s n Plants monthly speaker series Community Garden Summit in February On-site workshops available by request for established GGI gardens
Expansion opportunities Biannual expansion applications are available to existing GGI gardens seeking basic garden supplies in Spring and Fall. Existing GGI gardens may collaborate with GGI to develop plans for the design, fundraising and implementation of non-standard items on a case-bycase basis.
Think Big Garden Orientation but don t bite off more than you can chew Tackle what you can do this year. Involve everyone, but don t burn them out. Remember the opportunities for expansion later.
Thank you! Be sure to sign in and that you have completed the online project interest form. A staff member will be following up with you within two weeks to conduct an initial phone screen & schedule a community meeting. Questions/comments? Call 314-588-9600