Prepared by Linda Davies, London Community Resource Centre

1. Prepared by Linda Davies, London Community Resource Centre

2. What is a Community Garden?

3. A Community Garden is: • A communally shared piece of land where individuals, families, and groups rent garden plots and plant vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers of their choice • Where people from every social, economical, cultural, age and skill level can participate side by side each other • A place that brings people together because they share a common interest - GARDENING

4. A Community Garden is: • Block Club Gardens-Structured by an advocate and operated by gardeners who live close by • Citizen Gardens-design to foster identity. Often very small and promote neighbourhood pride and beautification • Established Gardens-Long history, primary volunteer unit runs the garden. • Government Gardens-controlled and operated by government agency

5. A Community Garden is: • Mission Gardens-provide a service to the broad-based community. Growing for food bank, Collective Kitchen etc • School Gardens-aligned with school programming and on school grounds. Maintained by school and outside volunteer organization • Youth Gardens-extracurricular programming. • Institutional Gardens-serve clients of a social service organization – homeless shelter; nursing home; Participation House

6. How do Community Gardens Work?

7. Roles and Responsibilities

8. Roles and Responsibilities • Communication • Who will do what? • Media releases • Website • Facebook • Point of contact for stakeholders

9. Roles and Responsibilities • Operations and Processess • Fundraising, community partners • Registration of gardeners • Coordination of maintenance • Workshops to provide education component • Enforce the rules

10. Roles and Responsibilities • Community Development • What other needs can be met using the gardens as a catalyst? • Hands-on learning experince’s • Composting • Cooking • Preserving

11. Roles and Responsibilities? • Terms of reference need to be established • A clear and compelling vision for the community garden needs to be shared by all stakeholders • Create a strategic plan that aligns with your communities priorities and includes growth and sustainability, community development, partnerships and volunteer engagement

12. Location, location, location Easy access is key to success

13. Location of the Garden Is the garden: • Easily accessible? • Does the garden provide: • Shade? • An area where children can play? • Lots of sunshine? • Washrooms? • Storage of garden tools?

14. Garden Layouts

15. Garden Layouts It is all about the pathways!!!

16. Community Garden Layouts • Decide how many plots you want in the garden site • Create pathways around the edge of the garden at least 4 feet wide • Pathways across the garden to create a grid pattern will allow gardeners to easily move throughout the garden • Pathways should be wide enough for a wheel barrel • Consider having at least one raised bed garden box

17. Garden Agreements

18. Community Garden Agreements • They provide you with contact information • They provide you with the documentation that the gardeners is aware of your expectations • They are necessary for insurance purposes • They are your way to controlling activity in the garden • Consider having at least one raised bed garden box

19. Benefits of Community Gardening • Access to fresh, affordable and nutritious food • Emotional and physical health and well being • Alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation • Increases socio-cultural interaction • Builds community • Beautify your city • Creates a sense of accomplishment in each of the gardeners

20. Benefits of Community Gardening Affordable, fresh, healthy food:

21. Benefits of Community Gardening Emotional, physical health and well being :

22. Benefits of Community Gardening Emotional, physical health and well being :

23. Benefits of Community Gardening Social camaraderie : The LCRC Community Gardens annual picnic brings together all the gardeners to celebrate and share in fun, food and friendship.

24. Benefits of Community Gardening Social camaraderie : Gardening workshops throughout the season bring community gardeners together to learn, and to share.

25. Benefits of Community Gardening Community building : London Compost and the LCRC, with the valued support of Try Recycling, each year hold spring and fall Compost Value Days. Proceeds from these fundraising events go to:• London & Area Food Bank • Thames Region Ecological Association• Boys & Girls Club of London • London Composts• St. Leonard’s Society • LCRC's Community Garden Project

26. Benefits of Community Gardening A sense of accomplishment :

27. Benefits of Community Gardening Beautify the city : More than just veggies can be grown in the gardens. For some, the community gardens provides a chance to beautify the city with colourful flowers and plants.

28. Benefits of Community Gardening Beautify the city :

29. Benefits of Community Gardening Testimonials:

30. Planting seeds for future growth: Going greener in coming seasons:

31. Planting seeds for future growth: Going greener in coming seasons: • The Community Gardens program is making every effort to go even greener in the seasons to come: • RETHINKING seasonal tasks, seeking cost effective methods to beautify the gardens. • DEVELOPING workshops to assist everyone to have a productive and rewarding gardening experience • PLANNING to establish garden plots to be used as teaching tools at specific garden sites. • ADVISORY COMMITTEE -- Re-shaping the gardens as we strive towards a garden project that is green, sustainable and a model for other communities from which to learn.

32. Planting seeds for future growth: Seeking sustainability: This program allows community groups and organizations to maintain vacant or abandoned plots, growing fresh produce which they can then donate to emergency food providers in the city of London. For more information on the Adopt a plot program, contact The London Community Resource Centre: 519-432-1801 Email: lcrc@lcrc.on.ca

33. Planting seeds for future growth: Seeking sustainability: This program allows business, corporations and private citizens to sponsor any of our 22 garden sites in the city, providing funding to help keep the program running successfully and to establish the community gardens sustainability today, and in the future. For more information on the Adopt a garden program, contact The London Community Resource Centre: 519-432-1801 Email: lcrc@lcrc.on.ca

34. Planting seeds for future growth: One piece of the food puzzle: While the Community Gardens is the flagship program at the London Community Resource Centre, it is intricately connected to the other food-related programs offered by the LCRC.

35. Planting seeds for future growth: Collective Kitchens: The program brings together groups of people to plan, budget, shop for, and cook nutritious meals for themselves and their families. From single moms to seniors, the program can function in a variety forms and accomodate various group sizes. The program also provides a spirit of camaraderie through social networking and a community-buildingatmoshpere.

36. Planting seeds for future growth: Healthy Tidbits: The program is a collaborative effort of the LCRC, theMiddlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) and Healthy Living Partnership Middlesex London. It involves senior volunteers in the planning andimplementation of food demos and taste-test booths at neighbourhood food depots in the city of London.

37. Planting seeds for future growth: Cook It Up! Pilot Project:

38. Planting seeds for future growth: Grow, Cook, Learn Grow, Cook, Learn is a gardening and cooking program providing a hands-on learning experience for everyone. Whether an avid gardener wants to share their expertise, a novice gardener wants to learn new skills or a volunteer from the community wants to get involved, everyone is welcome. Each workshop will be facilitated by an “expert” in gardening and with the combined efforts of everyone, a healthy garden and bountiful harvest will be achieved! Food harvested from our demonstration garden will be donated to the cooking workshops, local food banks, and social service programs. Increasing fresh food in our diets, and improving cooking skills for families is important in the overarching goal of improving our health and well-being. The project will be well documented and evaluated to provide agencies with a resource to utilize in their communities for years to come.

39. Planting seeds for future growth: Our vision for the future: With the gardens at the helm, the LCRC envisions a future “one-stop shop” location from which a variety of programs, all relating to healthy eating and food security, can be delivered and accessed by the public.