1. Growing the
Community Garden
of Your Dreams
Suggestions for a Path to Sustainability
Joni Torres, Pitt County Cooperative Extension
Mary Jac Brennan, Forsyth County Cooperative Extension

2. Quick Plug: Growing Communities Curriculum
Workbook developed by the American
Community Gardening Association.
Workshops teach practices and strategies
community organizers use to develop
garden leaders and use a participatory
approach to community building.
Most recent NC workshop was held in
October 2012 in Clemmons .
Available at: http://www.communitygarden.org/acga-store.php

3. Goals for Today
• Growing the Community – Core Beliefs of Community Building
• Organizing the Garden– Governance
• Growing the Plants – Horticultural
• Telling the Story – Communications
Wow! That’s a lot of
information.
Assumption:
The garden has
already been
started.

4. Growing the Community
Growing roots in the gardeners and the
community

5. Reasons for Garden Losses in the last 5 years
1992
1998
2012
Lack of interest n/a
by gardeners
49%
37%
Loss of land to
private
organizations
46%
15%
17%
Loss of land to
public agency
54%
20%
13%
Loss of funding
for program
staff
n/a
n/a
15%
Other
n/a
n/a
17%
Source: Community Gardening Organization Survey 2011-2012. By Laura Lawson and Luke Drake.
ACGA Community Greening Review 2013

6. Three Most Challenging Issues
Issues
% Respondents
People- getting new people
involved, keeping them involved,
community building
58%
Funding
Land- access to new sites and
securing it long term
Materials used in the garden
61%
23%
22%
Source: Community Gardening Organization Survey 2011-2012. By Laura Lawson and Luke Drake.
ACGA Community Greening Review 2013

7. Community Building Core Beliefs
• Many different ways to manage a community garden.
• The garden should grow and adapt based on the strengths,
needs and desires of the local community.
• Diverse participation and leadership, at all phases of garden
operation, enrich and strengthen a community garden.
• Each community member has something to contribute.
• Gardens are communities in themselves, as well as part of a
larger community.
Source: Growing Communities: How to Build Community Through Community Gardening
by Jeanette Abi-Nader, David Buckley, Kendall Dunnigan and Kristen Markley

8. Garden Longevity
“Community gardening is most
successful and long lasting when
the people affected by the garden
have a role in leading the
development of the garden”
(Abi-Nader et al., p. 13).

9. What is the Mission of the Garden?
Renewing your garden’s
Develop a mission in the early
stages and then build in regular
opportunities for renewing it.
mission will help it to
stay in touch with the
changing needs of the
people involved and the
local community

10. Developing a Mission for the Garden
Who will use the garden and what will they use it for?
What community needs could the community garden help to
meet?
What issues in your community could the community garden
help to address?
Example: To provide a local source of organically grown fruits and vegetables,
educate young people and adults about the benefits of gardening, and cultivate a
community of individuals committed to sustainable land use in an urban setting.

11. How Many People Does it Take to Grow a Community Garden?
Depends on the size of the garden.
Foster relationships among the
larger community.
Grow the community to support
the garden
Source: http://www.communitygardenswa.org.au/media/articles/Resources---Resources-To-Download/
Community-Gardening-Success-Factors.pdf

12. Have Fun while Fundraising
Celebrate at every
opportunity
Grow the Gardener and
you will grow the
Garden
Sow the Seeds for Community Growth

13. Combat theft by
offering to share
Use your garden as a
neighborhood outreach
Conduct activities for
youth
Establish a positive presence in the community

14. Garden Governance
Guiding the garden towards self-management

15. Example of Gardener Guidelines
Adapted from the Community Garden Coalition (cgc.missouri.org/) Gardener Guidelines.
• A plot cannot be gardened until payment of fees and a signed
agreement and liability release is received and approved.
• Gardeners must show planting progress by May 1, or contact
the Garden Manager with a valid reason.
• All gardeners are required to volunteer at least 5 hours per year
to help maintain the garden. Please sign up for one of the
garden jobs/crews .
• Keep your plot and the adjoining pathways neat and well tended.
Habitual lack of plot cleanup will result in a loss of the plot and
cleanup deposit.

16. Guidelines
• If your plot appears to be untended for a period of time,
and you haven’t contacted the garden manager, you will be
contacted and your plot may be assigned to another
gardener.
• Put cut up and put weeds and dead plants into the compost
bins. Diseased plants or seedy or invasive weeds are to be
removed from the premises to prevent contaminating the
compost.
• Do not apply anything to, or pick anything from another
person's plot without their consent.

17. Recycling
Bulletin Board
Make it Easy to Follow the Guidelines
Signage keeps everyone informed
Vacationing Gardener

18. Everyone Should Have a Job
• Determine what tasks need
to be done to keep garden
growing and going.
• Give people the opportunity
to sign up according to
their interests and abilities.
• Have co-leaders for each
group (people move).
Grounds
Composting
Garden Manager
Events
Communications
Monitors

19. Larger Gardens Will Need More Committees
• Create a calendar and
assign gardeners to specific
time (if they fail to sign up).
• Post calendar for all to see
• Educate, remind, revise,
and adapt.
• Change takes time.
• Recognize success when it
occurs
Fundraising
Volunteer
Coordinator
Maintenance
Education
Orientation
Surplus
produce

20. October Calendar of Activities
• Have a garden clean-up
day for everyone to clean
their plots and help with
• Prepare the garden for
winter by planting cover
crops
common areas.
• Make sure compost areas
are not overflowing and
all plant material has been
•
Store cleaned tools
and supplies for
chopped into small pieces.
winter.
Let garden manager
• Have an end-of-season
know if you are
renewing for next year.
potluck to celebrate
successes.
All plots should be put
to bed by November 1.
No cages or mobile
supports should be left
standing in the garden
• Prepare a final report of
activities and evaluate the
season for next year’s
improvements.
Source: Growing Community Gardens A Denver Urban Gardens’ Best Practices
Handbook for Creating and Sustaining Community Gardens, 2012

21. Provide frequent learning opportunities
Gardeners gain new knowledge
and develop leadership skills.
Make it open to the public to
provide outreach to the
community and reward
volunteers who help to support
and maintain the garden
Organic Pest Management Workshop

22. “People need
to experience a
sense of their
own power.”
Schedule regular workdays.
Hold regular meetings.
Develop leaders and knowledge
base
Leverage Capacity Awareness
Compost team at work

23. Orientation Tours
for New Members
Provides a group welcome
Chance to meet others
Reminds new members of
their responsibilities
Locate tools and identify
procedures
Ex: Coffee and Cookies

24. Example: Post-orientation survey
The Community Garden wants new members to feel welcome
and to ensure that they are aware of their rights and
obligations, the facilities available, the way the Garden is run
and the opportunities for social interaction among members.
Your feedback on your orientation session will help us to
improve the way we do this.
1.When was your orientation session?
2. Are you confident that you understand the following:
Yes No
How to lock the gates and sheds?
How the compost system works?
Where to access tools?
What sort of information is found on the
bulletin board?
How to find committee members in
emergencies or for information?
Not
sure
Consider: Follow-Up
Orientation Survey
Another chance to educate and build
awareness
Clear up any misconceptions
Ex: Please don’t take all the compost!
Where is the nearest toilet?
How to find the Garden’s web page?
Where print copies of the orientation
handout are kept?
Source: http://www.communitygardenswa.org.au/media/articles/Resources---Resources-To-Download/
Community-Gardening-Success-Factors.pdf

25. Develop Your
Own Garden
Manual
Share the garden’s history
Provides common resources
for all gardeners
Build continuity in garden
management and allow for
succession
Organize the organization
http://communitygarden.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ops_manual_26aug08.pdf

26. Free Organizational tools
To schedule a meeting or event:
www.doodle.com
Organizing an event
www.bringit.bz
To work on a project together
www.dropbox.com

27. More tools
Flyer templates:
www.microsoft.com
To conduct surveys or gather opinions:
www.google.drive.com
Any you would like to share?

28. Don’t do for
others what
they can do for
themselves.
Build community not dependency
“Go slow to go fast”
Source: Growing Communities: How to Build Community Through Community Gardening
by Jeanette Abi-Nader, David Buckley, Kendall Dunnigan and Kristen Markley

29. Making Decisions by Consensus
• A group arrives at a mutual agreement by trying to address all
concerns.
• Takes longer than other processes, but it fosters creativity,
cooperation and commitment to final decisions.
• Asks people to step out of their personal agendas and to make
decisions that are in the best interest of the whole group.
• A block is only used when a person has a strong moral
disagreement or thinks that the decision will fundamentally
damage the group.
Source: Growing Communities: How to Build Community Through Community Gardening
by Jeanette Abi-Nader, David Buckley, Kendall Dunnigan and Kristen Markley

30. Consensus Decision Making Process:
• State the issue.
What are we talking about?
•
Clarify the question.
What needs to be decided?
•
Discussion.
What are all the viewpoints?
•
Make a proposal.
Try to incorporate all viewpoints.
•
Discussion.
Members express support or concerns
•
Modify the proposal.
Or create a new proposal
•
Test for consensus.
Call for concerns, objections, blocks
•
Consensus reached.
Show visual or oral agreement.
•
Decision implemented
Who does what when?

31. Observe clearly marked recycling bin
Gardeners are improperly using recycling container
Look inside
Garden manager wants to try
“Pack it in, pack it out approach”

32. What makes for a successful community
garden?
• Shared Leadership
• Shared work
• Shared Vision, Guidelines
and Plan
• Regular contact
• Shared fun
• Shared Communication
• Shared Decision making
• Everyone can participate
and everyone feels welcome
• Presence in the Community
• The Garden has Partners
Source: www.foodshare.net

33. Sustainable Horticulture
Tips and toolkit resources

34. How to find Cooperative Extension Information
Easy search to access resources
https://search.extension.org/
To find organic agriculture information
http://www.extension.org/organic_production

35. Some NC Resources
http://www.nccgp.org/
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/local-county-center/
http://nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu/

36. More NC Resources
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/
http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/

37. What to grow in the community garden?
A few simple questions will help to guide
you in plant selection:
Who is the garden being grown for?
If it is for yourself, what do you like to eat?
How much time will you devote to the
garden?
What time of the year will you be
gardening?
How big is your garden?

38. Selected Crop Choices for Community
Gardens
• For small raised beds: greens of all kinds, squash, eggplant,
peppers, tomatoes, root crops, herbs-intensive planting.
Avoid corn and vining plants! Be a good neighbor.
• For communal plots with plenty of space: corn, melons,
sweet potatoes-may be traditional rows with furrows or
permanent wide beds.
• For communal plots with limited volunteers: Create an
event! Plant one type crop such as sweet potatoes, cowpeas,
corn, or collards.

39. Plant Flowers for Beneficial Insects
& the Neighbors
• Providing a home for
natural enemies of insects
(predators and parasitoids)
and pollinators (bees) can
help manage pests and
increase crop yields.
• Many beneficial insects rely
on plants for nectar and
pollen or shelter.
• Everyone enjoys flowers
Image Source:http://nativeplants.msu.edu/uploads/files/E2973.pdf

40. PLAN before you PLANT!
Read seed
catalogs and
check planting
calendar
Take a class
Talk with
other
gardeners
offered by
Prepare your
Extension or local
purchase seeds
Cooperative
community
garden
soil and
or transplants
Now what?

41. Vegetable Garden Calendar
•
Early Spring: Feb, Early March
• Plant cool season crops outside to harvest through early summer
(June)
•
Spring: April, May
• Plant warm season crops outside to produce through summer (usually
finish by August)
•
Late Summer: Aug, Sept
• Plant quick maturing warm season crops to harvest through first frost
• Plant cool season crops
• Quick maturing, half hardy – harvest in fall through Dec.
• Long season, hardy – stand through winter
See regional garden calendars for more information

42. North Carolina has a long
growing season. With season
extension, food can be grown
year-round!
Keep records of what you
plant and where you plant
for crop rotation planning.
See regional garden calendars on resource list

43. Do not grow
crop from
Practice Crop Rotation
same family in
the same spot
year after year
• Divide growing area into
separate spaces
Must know
Prevent build-
are related to
diseases, and
which plants
up of insects,
plan rotation
weeds
Rotate areas
crops are
grown
• Example, if have 4 raised
beds, come up with a 4
year plan
• Consider different seasons
• Designate cool season and
warm season crops for
each bed

44. Year 1
Group 1
Tomatoes,
Peppers,
Egglplants summer
Potatoes winter
Corn –
summer
Crop Rotation Planning
Year 2
Group 2
Group 4
Group 1
Squash,
Cucumbers,
Melons summer
Corn –
summer
Tomatoes,
Peppers,
Eggplants summer
Green
manure winter
Spinach,
Lettuce Fall
Beans –
summer
Brassicas
– fall and
winter
Group 4
Group 3
Spinach,
Lettuce Fall
Beans –
summer
Brassicas
– fall and
winter
Group 3
Potatoes winter
Squash,
Cucumbers,
Melons –
summer
Green
Manure Winter
Group 2

45. Soil Fertility Considerations
• Always start with free soil test!
• Base fertilizer and other
amendment rates on soil test
results and recommendations
for crop
• Only add what you need!
• Excessive fertilizer applications
end up in rivers and streams
• Note: $4 peak season fee from
Dec-March

46. Excess Nutrients in Streams Cause Algal
Blooms and Fish Kills
Consider downstream consequences: Non-sustainable for the fish!!!

47. pH: What’s it all about?
• Most vegetables grow best
at a pH of 6.2 to 6.7
• pH extremes cause nutrients
to be unavailable and may
increase concentration of
toxic elements
• Low pH reduces activity of
soil organisms
• Adding lime raises soil pH

48. What fertilizer to use?
• Fertilizers are sometimes
needed to supply some of
the nutrients garden
plants need
• Synthetic fertilizers
usually have higher
concentrations of
nutrients & become
readily available

49. What’s in the bag or pile of manure?
• For both organic and synthetic fertilizers,
analysis (nutrient content) must be stated
on bag.
• E.g. 32-10-10
• Numbers are percentages (32%)
• Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, are
always represented in that order
• For Piles: Need waste analysis on manure
for accurate fertilization
• See orgfertval.pdf on the resource page for
more information
N– P - K

50. What fertilizer to use?
• Organic fertilizers are better for soil health,
(encourage microorganisms) are less likely to cause
water pollution, have lower concentrations of
nutrients and are slowly made available to plants
USE CAUTION WHEN USING ANIMAL MANURES!

51. Organic Matter
Improves all Soil Types!
Add OM each year with Compost,
Cover crops, or Mulch
1-2” layer on surface
Incorporate into top 6” of soil
Till if necessary
Use broadfork for least soil disturbance
Or use a shovel or garden fork.
Minimize disruption of soil ecosystem
The broadfork is used to break up densely packed
soil, and to improve aeration and drainage without
too much disturbance of the soil layers.
Build not destroy

52. Value of Soil Organic Matter
• 1% of soil organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil contains:
• 1,000 lbs of Nitrogen = $500
• 100 lbs of Phosphorus =$70
• 100 lbs of Potassium = $40
• 100 lbs of sulfur = $50
• 5 tons of carbon = $20
• Total value = $680
Source: http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Project-Products/North-Central-SARE-Project-Products/Understanding-SoilMicrobes-and-Nutrient-Recycling

53. Sustain Soil Health: Grow Cover Crops
• Fall cover crops: Red Clover & Cereal Rye mix works
well, clover is a legume & adds nitrogen, cereal rye has
an allelopathic effect on germinating seeds
• Summer cover crops: Cow pea Is a legume & adds
nitrogen, buckwheat, and millet are fast growing and
can become a pesky weed if not managed well.
• Cover crops protect the soil from erosion, add organic
matter when turned under, and can reduce weed
populations.

54. Cultivate beneficial soil organisms: Feed the web
Grow your own fertilizer and organic
matter by growing cover crops.
NO $ or resources spent on manufacture
packaging, transport and disposal
NO concerns about harmful residues
Image Source: http://sacgardens.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

55. Mulch your garden to retain soil moisture,
reduce weeds, and to add organic matter
• 2”-4” deep to block light and reduce weed seed germination
• Know the source of the mulch to avoid herbicide damage
(ex. grass clippings)
• Newspaper + Straw (beds)
• Cardboard + wood or straw (paths)
• Use straw (NOT HAY)
• Beds: turn in mulch at end of season
• Paths: replenish mulch as needed

56. Conserve Water
Wise Use Practices

57. Conserve Water
• Most vegetables require ~ 1” water per week from rain or
irrigation-check soil with finger 1-2” below soil surface
• Water deeply not frequently (unless starting seeds)
• Soaker hoses work well
• Less water lost through evaporation
• Place close to base of plants
Water the roots and soil not the leaves
Wet foliage = Disease problems
Water early in the morning or in the evening
Remember: Not the leaves
Mulch soil to reduce water loss by evaporation

58. If you can’t drink the water, do not apply
it to your fruits, herbs or vegetables
• The best practice is to use a regulated, treated
water source. Water authorities treat and test the
water to ensure it meets EPA drinking water
standards
• If you are using another source, such as a well, have
the water tested and make sure it is up to EPA
standards before using it for watering plants or
washing hands, equipment or food.
Source: http://growingsafergardens.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/foodsafetywebcurriculum-10-24-12.pdf

59. Food Safety in the Garden
• 1. Clean and sanitized
hands.
• 2. Safe soil amendments.
• 3. Clean water.
• 4. Clean and sanitized
surfaces.
• Read manual for complete
details
Image Source:
http://growingsafergardens.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/foodsafetywebcurriculum-10-24-12.pdf

60. Harvesting and Food Safety
• Wear one-use only gloves when harvesting or simply wash
hands before harvesting.
• Put the harvest into clean, sanitized containers.
• If you are not sure when the harvesting containers were last
washed, put the harvest into new plastic bags.
• Wash and sanitize tools before harvesting.
• Always wash harvest before eating.
For more information see: Food Safety for School and Community Gardens

61. Communication
Grow your community through communication
Communicate, don’t irritate

62. Lots of Competition
out there
Time is money
Why should they
spend it with you?
Image Source: http://www.fredcavazza.net/2012/02/22/social-media-landscape-2012/
Help them find you
Register:
www.nccgp.org/
www.communitygarden.
org/
Local Exposure:
University Service Site
Chamber of Commerce
City and County Sites
Seek local partners

63. So many options, so little time
Consider
Tools
Target audience
Goals
Message
Skills needed
Time involved
Signs in the garden
Bulletin board
E-mail
Snail mail
Garden website
facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Image Source: http://spinsucks.com/social-media/how-to-choose-social-media-tools/

64. Keeping track of the harvest
Potable water
Communicate by every means possible
Verbal and Visual
Composting
Keep tools handy

65. Develop your Elevator Speech!
Turn to a neighbor
and tell them in 3
sentences about your
community garden
(OK maybe 4!)
Practice!
Practice!
Practice!

66. Tell your
Story!
To the
Community
To Each Other

67. It’s Time to Stop
Dreaming and Start
Growing……
The Community Garden of
Your Dreams
“It takes team work to
make the dream work”