Pantry Gardens A FeedMore Partner Agency Resource Guide This resource is intended for food pantry staff that is interested in starting a new pantry garden or maintaining and/or enhancing an existing one. Many additional resources are available throughout FeedMore s Central Virginia territory that can provide volunteers, trainings and workshops, supplies, and most importantly gardening knowledge! A great place to start is your county s Cooperative Extension office, and feel free to contact us if you need assistance finding other resources for your project. Credit must be given to the following resources, which were immensely valuable to creating this guide: the community garden research and guides developed by the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension, the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Winston-Salem Community Garden Initiative, and American Community Gardening Association, among many others. Links to these organizations, their published guides, and many other resources can be found throughout this document.
Introduction Pantry gardens take many forms and serve many functions. They can be a variety of sizes, be primarily production or educational in nature, and be managed solely by pantry staff or also utilize clients and other volunteers. Unlike traditional community gardens, which are for individual or family use and are separated into distinct plots, pantry gardens generally operate with one or more of the following main purposes: 1. Pantry gardens supplement produce for the food pantry, therefore providing a low cost (or free) and healthy option for the pantry s clients. 2. Pantry gardens are utilized as an educational resource for nutrition, cooking, and gardening education. 3. Pantry gardens are a way to empower clients by providing them an opportunity to give back to their community. They also foster a sense of camaraderie amongst the clients, reduce stress, and provide a sense of wellness, belonging, and much-needed dignity. Starting Out Before you start, consider the following questions: Who is responsible for making decisions about the garden? While a leadership structure is important, forming a garden advisory committee or garden leadership team can provide needed support, guidance, and resources to the garden. Make sure you have the support of the church or agency leadership, and involve and be aware of this larger community when making decisions. Hold a meeting with anyone interested in the garden. What is the purpose of the garden? Decide if the primary focus will be on production, education, or both. Who will be the primary party responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the garden? Gardens require at least one person to be the eyes and ears of the garden to ensure it is cared for and remains an attractive feature of the pantry s property. Gardens are managementintensive and require almost daily attention during the growing season. Does the garden leadership have good people management skills? The wide diversity of volunteers and clients will inevitably lead to (hopefully very occasional) conflicts and rule-breaking. Leadership must be organized, patient, cheerful, dedicated, willing to listen, and able to facilitate dialogue about how to accomplish the tasks at hand. In addition, a structure for considering client and volunteer suggestions can be very important to the morale of the group. Do you have access to tools, materials, and a budget for seeds? Gardeners and volunteers can provide some of these resources, but the group should plan to seek out and acquire materials or solicit donations from local gardening groups or businesses. Is there an available source of water? Most fruits and vegetables need regular watering during the summer. If at all possible, place the garden within a hose-reach of an outside faucet.
Do you have a large support network to help with bigger jobs, such as installing garden beds? Who else will help maintain the garden, plant, pull weeds, harvest, and water? Some seasonal jobs will require heavy lifting, repetitive motions, and regular attention. Having a large group of supporters at least to call upon occasionally can make or break a garden. How will you communicate with clients and volunteers about the garden? Not everyone has regular email access. Consider that communications can be handed out with client food and posted at the pantry distribution. When necessary, be prepared to call people with important messages or changes. Regular communication will keep volunteers and clients invested in the project. Will clients receive produce for participating in the garden program, or will produce be donated directly to the food pantry/soup kitchen? As long as guidelines for participation are communicated and fairly implemented, harvesting and taking home produce can be a fun and highly anticipated component of your pantry garden! On the other hand, fresh produce can be a much appreciated addition to the standard pantry distribution of shelf-stable foods. Will the garden include an educational component? If so, you don t have to do it alone or possess all the knowledge your gardeners should know! Many resources exist in our community that can help with volunteers, lead specific activities or lessons, or provide trainings or seminars. Research shows that even without formal educational sessions, gardeners will eat more fruits and vegetables, have an increased sense of wellness and belonging, and a reduction in stress. Selecting a Garden Site To select a site, ask the following questions: How was the site used in the past? Is the ground contaminated? A good soil test can help you determine presence (or lack) of nutrients and heavy metals (such as lead, a common issue in urban plots) that may require raised beds and fresh soil. Otherwise, you can consider in-ground beds. Is there a nearby water source? Most plants need regular watering, so proximity to running water is very important. You can use a garden hose and spigot for hand-watering (fine for a small space), or install drip-tape or irrigation in rows or a zigzag pattern across the beds, which can even run on a timer. How many square feet of gardening space do you need? This question is harder to answer, because plants need varying amounts of space, and the amount of gardening space you need may change over time. Start small, and you can always grow your garden next year! Does the site get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight during the spring, summer, and fall? Most summer veggies (tomatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers, peppers, and melons) need 6+ hours of sunlight to thrive. Some plants can be planted in a shadier area, such as herbs. Broccoli,
cauliflower, greens, and winter squash still enjoy lots of sun, but can be planted in the fall, and with the right protection from weather, grow year-round. Is the site relatively flat? Sloped soil will drain unevenly and is more difficult to maintain footing, so consider terracing the beds so they remain level. Is there an existing (or space to build a) garden shed for tools and supplies? Leaving tools and supplies out is a recipe for theft and damage to the tools. You ll want an inside space to protect them from the weather, and the closer to the garden the better! Will the site need to be fenced against animals, theft, or vandalism? If so, consider fencing in your cost analysis, and install the fencing before or at the same time as you build the beds. Make sure the fence is tall enough to keep out critters and the gate is wide enough to let in all participants, possibly including those using a wheelchair. Garden Beds This section will help you decide if in-ground or raised beds better suit your garden needs. In either case, consider the following before digging: Garden size Orientation to sun and shade: choose an area of maximum continuous light Proximity to trees and root systems: place your bed at least 10 feet from the drip line of any nearby existing or future trees Wind exposure: a fence or berm can serve as a wind barrier in windy areas Your garden bed will likely actually be several beds that fit the shape of your garden plot. Plants with similar requirements can be grown together, and then rotated to different beds in successive years. Make the beds no wider than 4 feet, though they can be any length. Create 24 pathways between the beds, allowing for movement of people and wheelbarrows. In-ground garden beds If your soil is soft and doesn t test for heavy metals or contamination, dig an in-ground bed! In-ground beds are cheaper and easier to build, require less watering than raised beds, and allow for larger growing areas and therefore larger production. On the other hand, they are more susceptible to weeds creeping into the bed, and gardeners will need to reach further down to tend the garden, an issue for elderly or disabled volunteers. Dig: Double-dig new garden plots with pitchforks. Dig down 12-18, removing rocks and roots, and breaking up large clumps. The soil should be crumbly rather than clumpy.
Raised beds If your soil is un-diggable, has been contaminated by past use, or you have major pests, raised beds can be a great alternative. The upfront cost is higher than in-ground, but the additional security against pests and in knowing that your soil is safe are sure to be appreciated! In addition, the soil warms up more quickly in the spring, the sides prevent many weeds from creeping in, and they are more accessible due to the raised soil level. Build: using new or reclaimed boards, build a box and fill it with a combination of garden soil, vermiculite, peat moss, compost, and/or lime, depending on the ph level of your soil. Build healthy soil: Add peat moss if needed to achieve the correct crumbly texture, and enrich the soil with organic matter such as compost or aged manure (you ll want to add organic matter every year to maintain the soil nutrients). After a season of gardening, you may discover specific soil deficiencies you want to address for future seasons. Make it pretty: Rake the bed level and smooth. This will enhance uniform water absorption and encourage uniform sprouting. Keeping garden soil off the paths, scrape away any grass or surface weeds and cover the pathways with two layers of landscape cloth, then cover with 2 of bark mulch. Don t step on the finished beds! There is a plethora of information online to help with the layout and preparation of the garden bed. While the following resources focus on traditional community or backyard gardens, they contain valuable information about the process of designing, building, and maintaining a garden: Community Gardening Toolkit: A Resource for Planning, Enhancing, and Sustaining Your Community Garden Project: https://www.hungernet.org/cfs/publishingimages/pages/community- Gardens/Gardening%20Toolkit.pdf Community Garden Start-up Guide University of California Cooperative Extension: https://www.hungernet.org/cfs/publishingimages/pages/community- Gardens/Garden%20Start-up%20Guide.pdf American Community Gardening Association: https://communitygarden.org/ Backyard Vegetable Garden EarthEasy: http://eartheasy.com/grow_backyard_vegetable_garden.html
Maintaining the Garden Watering, weeding, and harvesting require regular attention throughout the growing season. But these activities can provide a casual and ongoing activity for volunteers and clients to stay engaged! Setting up regular garden days in conjunction with regular pantry distribution days provides several benefits, specifically that regular engagement with the garden increases the clients sense of ownership for the project, and will result in the greatest benefit for the clients. Regular and predictable volunteer help in the garden will reduce the pressure on garden leadership to do everything. It also gives those early arrivals an activity to do while they wait for the pantry to open. You can choose to count these clients as they arrive so they still feel like it s worth it to arrive early (marking their place in the beginning of the line, receiving a low number, etc.) Monthly Planting/Harvesting Guide Keeping track of when to plant what can be confusing, even for the seasoned gardener! Fortunately, Mother Earth News has a guide to planting by the months, including what seeds to sow directly outdoors, which seeds to start indoors, and when to transplant all specific to the Mid-Atlantic Region. What to Plant Now Mother Earth News: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organicgardening/mid-atlantic-gardening-region.aspx#axzz36q60xqux Education in the Garden Using the Pantry Garden as an educational resource and/or a demonstration garden is the most exciting potential of this type of garden! And the best part is that your agency doesn t have to do it alone Community Resources FeedMore is proud to work with many community organizations, including Richmond Grows Gardens (City of Richmond), Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners, just to name a couple, that can provide help to your pantry garden project. These and many other organizations can be a wonderful source of garden materials, on-site trainings, soil testing and recommendations, horticultural experience, and nutrition lessons! Don t hesitate to reach out to your Agency Manager, who can help connect you with the appropriate contacts for your location.