Spring is the perfect time to start discussing community gardening. Whether you are new to gardening or a veteran seed saver, your garden can benefit from sharing this experience with your neighbors.

Here are a few things to consider before beginning a garden, to get your planning started on the right track.

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As they say at the Sustainable Food Center (http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/), everyone should have the opportunity to reap the benefits of growing one’s own food.  Grow Local strives to ensure that all Central Texans have access to the education, space, and resources they need to do so. Grow Local helps create, support, and sustain community and school gardens and hosts a variety of educational workshops to help gardeners get growing.

Consider visiting a local garden first. With over 200 gardeners, Sunshine Gardens is one of the largest community gardens in the nation. Come by! 4814 Sunshine Drive, Austin, Texas. Sunshine Drive is just north of the intersection of Lamar and 45th Street.

There is a map of all the Austin community gardens at http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/GL_gardens.html.

Did you know the Austin City Council passed a resolution in November 2009 to promote urban farms and community gardens? The resolution, advised by the Sustainable Food Policy Board, asked City Manager Marc Ott to present a plan to streamline the process of applying for an urban farm or community garden by late February.

Part of streamlining the process includes identifying empty lots that could serve as land for cultivation and broadening the definition of an urban farm or community garden so more applicants can qualify.

“The city has land, and now we want to know where we can create, on city-owned property, applicable places for gardens and growing food,” said Andy Moore, council aide for Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez. “We want it to be easy enough for somebody to go on the city’s Web site and know what land’s available and how they can bring a community garden to their neighborhood.”

Moore said the Sustainable Food Policy Board is made up of 13 members who advise City Council on how to ensure better food security and reduce greenhouse gases through increasing the local food supply.

Moore said the greatest hurdle for people who want to start a community garden or farm is the cost of land in Austin, especially for agriculture. The city, however, will offer agricultural subsidies and lower the price of city-owned land for that purpose, he said.

The American Community Gardening Association has the best resource for planning and building your dream garden.  Here is their first step.

FORM A PLANNING COMMITTEE

• Determine if there really is a need and desire for a garden.
• What kind of garden–vegetable, flower, trees, a combination
• Who will the garden serve–youth, seniors, special populations, people who just want an alternative to trash?
• If the project is meant to benefit a particular group or neighborhood, it is essential that the group be involved in all phases.
• Organize a meeting of interested people.
• Choose a well-organized garden coordinator.
• Form committees to accomplish tasks: Funding & Resource Development; Youth Activities; Construction; Communication.
• Approach a sponsor. A sponsor is an individual or organization that supports a community garden. Site sponsorship can be a tremendous asset. Contributions of land, tools, seeds, fencing, soil improvements or money are all vital to a successful community garden. Some community gardens can provide most of their provisions through fees charged to the membership; but for many, a garden sponsor is essential. Churches, schools, citizens groups, private businesses, local parks and recreation departments are all potential supporters. Community Development Block Grants are sometimes available through your municipality.
• Make a list of what needs to be done.
• Find a garden site.
• Obtain lease or agreement from owner.
• Decide on a mailing address and central telephone number(s). Try to have at least 3 people who are very familiar with all pertinent information. Form a telephone tree.
• If your community garden has a budget, keep administration in the hands of several people.
• Choose a name for the garden.

(source:  http://www.communitygarden.org/learn/starting-a-community-garden.php)

Additional community gardening links:

• The best overview article of what a community garden requires. (http://home.howstuffworks.com/community-garden.htm)
• Getting people involved in your community garden project. (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090921/ten_things)
• Central Texas Gardener is a great resource for all things local and organic. – http://www.klru.org/ctg/episode/date/3_13_2010/
• Texas Agricultural Extension’s gardening links. (http://texasextension.tamu.edu/programs/agnr/index.php#gardening)
• CommunityGardensAustin.org (http://communitygardensaustin.org/)
• Are you a community gardening expert willing to share your knowledge?  Why not start an Austin Community Gardens Meetup Group?  There’s a waiting list of interested members already there.  (http://commgardens.meetup.com/cities/us/tx/austin/)
• Don’t forget to collect the seeds. Start a community seed bank to compliment your garden efforts. (http://www.ehow.com/how_2270999_start-community-seed-bank.html)

Rather just reap the rewards? Greenling.com delivers fresh local produce to your door weekly at cost, straight off the farm.  (We really look forward to our weekly delivery.)

Support local CSAs. Farms that offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs, allow individuals to pledge support, usually in the form of a monthly, seasonal or annual subscription fee, to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes in part the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA’s focus is usually on a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, sometimes dairy products and meat. Program fees and structure differ from farm to farm.  Edible Austin.com has a list of local CSAs. (http://www.edibleaustin.com/content/csas-resources-108)

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I hope you do start a community garden, and grow fresh organic produce for your neighbors and family. Chlorophyll, the thing that makes leaves green, is identical to red blood cells, but for the center atom. That is why you feel energy from salad greens right away. So grow loads of greens and create the healthiest neighborhood in Austin and your neighbors may bring you flowers.

Thank you for reading Property Lines Newsletter. Please share this with your neighbors, management, coworkers, anyone. I’ll keep posting valuable information to grow your community. Let me know if there are topics you would like featured.

Sincerely,
–Mary Luketich

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