Community Garden Project

1. Community Garden Project Urban Green John Hay Environmental Club

2. Why Are Community Gardens Important? • Community gardens are a place where people can be active, productive, and grow fresh, nutritional foods. • They createa better quality of life for everyone who has contact with one, either by walking past it on the street, or receiving nourishment from the food grown within it. 

3. Why Are Community Gardens Important? • Most produce in the grocery store has traveled, on average, 1500 miles from where it was grown. • Local produce does not need to be shipped across the country. It is available CLOSE TO HOME!! • Community gardens can save you money because by growing some of your own food, you can buy less at the store. • Community gardens can help to fill the need of fresh produce for your neighborhood.

4. Why Community Gardens? • Fresh produce is good for you. • When produce is harvested, it begins to lose its nutritional value. • Not all types of fruits and vegetables ripen at the same time. • Eating produce that is “in season” means eating fruits and vegetables when they are ready to harvest. • Community gardens give urban residents the option of growing and eating their own food.

5. Continued • In a neighborhood or city, a community garden can be a place for people to bond and socialize, improving the health, spirit, and sense of belonging for all.  • Involvement in a community garden promotes a feeling of responsibility for its well being, and helps establish pride among residents.

6. Continued • Involving children in food production helps prepare them for life. By working in a garden, they learn where many food products come from, the value of hard work and allows them to get dirty. • Vegetable gardening makes good sense financially, lowering short term food costs by growing your own food as well as reducing long term health costs by being active in the garden.

7. Composting • Composting is a good way to build the soil. • All plant material, and some animal material can be composted. • 60% of landfill volume comes from: • Yard waste (ex. Grass clippings, leaves, sticks etc) • Food waste (ex. Egg shells, vegetables) • This is lots of stuff we can compost!!

8. Composting • Over time, bacteria in the compost break down the organic matter into rich, fertile soil. • We have started a compost bin at Vel’s garden.

9. Composting Only certain items can go in the compost pile. Avoid things like glass, meat and bone scraps, and weeds.

10. Lasagna or Sheet Mulching • An effective and affordable way to build soil. • Lay down layers of cardboard and other organic materials like lasagna in a place where you want to make a garden bed.

11. Greenhouse Construction at the Garden

12. Greenhouse Construction at the Garden

13. Straw Bale Construction • We built a greenhouse at the garden using the straw bale construction method. • This results in well-insulated buildings because the walls are very thick. • When constructed properly, straw bale construction is very durable and environmentally friendly.

14. References • http://www.urbanharvest.org/programs/cgardens/whyvaluable.html • http://cuyahoga.osu.edu/topics/agriculture-and-natural-resources/urban-agriculture-program/community-gardening • http://www.thegreentriangle.com/