1. 1
SOULS
feed our
with more
SOULS
THANTHANfood
An ethnographic study on the Savanah’s Community Garden Culture
Fall 2013

2. 2
Introduction
The Team
Objective
Research Questions
Secondary Research
Primary Research
Insight Report
Conclusion
Apendix
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Introduction 3
6
The Team 4
14
Objective 5
21
Research Questions 5
45
47
Secondary Research
Primary Research
Insight Report
Conclusion
Appendix

3. 3
INTRODUCTION
Introducing gardens as a shared,
communal concept is an emerging
trend, especially in urban areas.
These community gardens use their
space efficiently by providing a location
for many people to accomplish their
goals by participating in nature-based
activities. Communities have found
the collaboration to be enriching and
the creation of local food sources as
beneficial to its members.
The City of Savannah contains many
styles of community gardens and
approved the Savannah Community
Garden Initiative in July of 2012.
Inspired by interest in using a vacant,
city lot for a community garden, this
program establishes a method for city
residents to create a contract with
the city to use its land for gardening
purposes.

4. 4
Priscila Mendoza
MFA Design Management
Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:
Avocado
Alice Li
MFA Industrial Designt
Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:
Carrot
Jorie Ballum
MA Design for Sustainability
Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:
Orange Bell Pepper
Farid Sandeghi
MFA Design Management
Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:
Cabbage
Han Tian
MFA Industrial Design
Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:
Cauliflower
THE TEAM
The research team consists of
graduate students from varying
majors that attend the Savannah
College of Art and Design.

5. 5
OBJECTIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The objective of the research
is to understand the
community garden culture
of Savannah and to explore
the status of the Savannah
Community Garden Initiative.
The end goal of the project
is to form insights from
the research, discover
opportunities for the gardens,
and design solutions to
take advantage of those
opportunities.
What is the Community
Garden culture in
Savannah?
How do you evaluate a
Community Garden?
What activities does
a Community Garden
involve?
What are the goals of a
Community Garden?
How does the S.C.G.I.
work? (policy-wise)

6. 6
SECONDARYSECONDARY
research

7. 7
It was important to figure out
what components make up a
community garden and what
participating concepts make
the system work. Collecting
information about the outside
influences was also vital in
explaining the organization
of the gardens. With this
information, it was possible
to depict what exactly a
community garden is.
WHAT

8. 8
A “community” garden implies
multi-party involvement, so
mapping out the participants was
essential for understanding the
human aspect of a garden.
The parties that could be directly
or indirectly affected by the
garden’s success or failure were
labeled as ‘stakeholders’ and those
who stood to benefit directly from
the garden’s services were noted
as ‘beneficiaries.’ Documenting this
information provides an insight
into who the garden may impact
and to whom it is important.
WHO

9. 9
Plan for Starting a Community Garden
It is easy to observe a
community garden to see
how the different types of
collaborative efforts work,
but how did the gardens get
there in the first place? This
motivation to understand
the sprouting of the garden
structures led to discovering
a process full of many
considerations and areas for
unique circumstances to arise.
HOW
General
Establish
Local Interest
Participants
Organizations/Programs
Sponsors/Supports
Community Need1
Plan Out
Technical
Details
Secure land and leasing/ownership details
Funding
Liabilities
Sunlight and water availability
2
Establish
Management
Eligibility and roles of participants
Budgeting/Payments
Designate a “garden champion”
Plan out strategies and education
3
Prepare the
Garden
4
Clean up the space and test the soil for contaminants and nutrients
or build the raised beds
Create a layout of the garden
Determine the required materials for construction and maintenance
Plan out the types of plants and care schedules

10. 10
Creating a community garden
under the SCGI requires a
specific method of planning
because using a city-owned
lot presents liabilities for the
city of Savannah. Decoding the
formal procedure was essential
for identifying key concerns
in the process and for looking
for city-resident interfacing
opportunities.
HOW IN
SAVANNAH
Submit Initial
Application
1
Optional
Steps
3
Review “Policy
and User
Agreement”
Fill Out
“Application
for Use”
Write “Letter
of Intent”
Composting
Plan
Type of
Fencing
Qualifying
Applications
If Applicable
Upon Approval
2 Provide Further
Materials
Signed “Policy
and User
Agreement ”
Evidence of
Neighborhood
Support
Drawing of
Proposed
Layout
List of
Building
Materials
Schedule
of proposed
Fee
Signed
FEMA Form
Prepare the
Garden
4 Adhere to
Rules
Build!
Plan for Starting a Community Garden
In Savannah

11. 11
To understand when
community gardens are
implemented, both historical
and cultural perspectives
were explored. Apart from
individual or group interest,
certain sets of circumstances
and events lead to the
development of gardens,
making the universal themes
of the process apparent.
WHEN
1890
190
0
1920
1930
194
0
1970
20
10
20
0
0
WWI & WWII
E
C
O
N
O
M
IC
A
L
C
R
ISIS
B
E
A
U
TIFU
L
C
ITY
M
O
V
E
M
E
N
T
E
C
O
N
O
M
IC
A
L
&
SO
C
IA
L
C
R
ISIS
W
A
R
&
V
IC
TO
R
Y
G
A
R
D
E
N
C
A
M
PA
IN
G
S
E
N
V
IR
O
N
M
E
N
TA
L
A
W
A
K
E
N
IN
G
E
C
O
N
O
M
IC
A
L
C
R
ISIS
E
N
V
IR
O
N
M
E
N
TA
L
C
R
ISIS
FO
O
D
SU
P
P
LY
SC
A
R
C
ITY
INCREASE IN COMMUNITY GARDENS DECREASE COMMUNITY GARDENS
ECONOMY
SOCIETY
ENVIRONMENT
POLITICS
FOOD
ACCESSIBILITY
GREEN INITIATIVE
UNEMPLOYMENT
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
INTEREST IN
COMMUNITY
GARDENING
- +
+
+ +
+ +
+

12. 12
As users experience gardens
in different ways, a map of
the potential motivations for
participating in community
gardening was generated
from reviews and case
studies of various gardens.
The collection of activities
associated with the gardens
frames the ideal garden
situation and serves as
a comparative tool for
evaluating and defining
actual gardens later on.
WHYRehabilitation
Healthy
Organic
Produce
Good
Nutrition
Food
Accessibility
Social
Programs
Saving
Money
Recreation
Green Space
Increase
Education
Volunteering
Building
Community
Neighborhood
Appearance
Community
Improvement
Self
Empowerment
Exercising
Learning
Skills
Community
Collaborating
Gardening
Sharing
Socializing
Eating
Produce
Enjoy Nature
Throwing
Events
B E N E F I T S
Community
Gardens
B E N E F I T S
A C T I V I T I E S

13. 13
It was imperative to delve
into the characteristics of
Savannah that potentially
play roles in starting gardens.
This grasp of the context
of the culture and specific
trends could unlock potential
opportunities for design
intervention as well as gauge
the perception of community
gardens in the area.
WHY SAVANNAH SAVANNAH COMMUNITY
GARDEN INITIATIVE
GARDEN TRADITION VACANT LOTS
Squares
Urban Planning
Tourism
5.3 % of total
parcels are vacant
FEMA program
(flooding areas)
CRIME RATE
Violent crime rate
generally higher
than national
average

14. 14
P R I M A R Y
research
P R I M A R Y

15. 15
To understand the
culture and context of
community gardening in
savannah, the research
team went out into the
community to obtain
first-hand experiences
and gather personal
knowledge from the
residents of savannah.

16. 16
OBSERVATION
SELFREPORT
INTERVIEW
The primary research data was
collected using combinations of
observational techniques, self-
reporting by garden participants, and
structured interviews of people with
different relationships to community
gardens.
Observation activities: side-
line examinations of the gardens,
shadowing sessions of the
garden participants, and informal
conversations
Self-reporting activities: expressive
activities, creative projects, and
micro-journaling
Interviewing activities: guided
conversations that focused on
answering the research questions.

17. 17
Individuals
City
Property Taxes
Vacant Lots
Contamination
Raised beds
Regulations
Permanent Structures
FEMA
Compost
pays
for
set’s up
ask for land to
can become
contributeandtake
Institutions
are owned
by
can
be
part of
mighthave
causes
are prohibited
prohibited
control requires
should be
set’s
up
leads to the use of
requires
sources
require
canprovide
goes
to
goes
to
requires
canbenefit
$ Resources
Volunteers
Plants & Seeds
Soil
Tools
Grants
Donations Community
Purchasing
Food
Needy
Professionals
Garden lovers
Student
Organic
Seniors
Supplies
Chemicals
In the research
process, concepts
and relationships
are brainstormed
and explored.
Illustrating the
system of community
gardening led to
a visualization
and exploration of
relationships, which
helped to accentuate
the areas of the map
that required further
inspection.
SYSTEMS
MAP “The vacant lot was full
of weeds... so I said, let’s
do it! let’s turn it into a
community garden!”
“The garden is organic
in the sense of we don’t
use that much chemicals,
but we are not certified
organic.”
“Gardening is a team”
-Barbara E., Garden Manager
Ben L. Garden Manager
Francis A. Garden Manager
“There has been one hundred
years of decomposing musket
balls and cannon balls in the
soil – it’s dreadful!”
-Victoria C., Landscape Designer
“Buying quality soil was the
best choice SCAD made. It
covers a lot of sins.”
-Ben B., SCAD Gardener

18. 19
The primary research was
sorted and consolidated
on an Affinity Wall, which
is a tool to cluster data
together to form insights
from the resulting themes.
Overarching trends
surfaced from the multiple
layers of data clustering
and helped the team
identify opportunities for
improvement with design.
AFFINITY WALL

19. 20
I. DEEP SATISFACTION
• Community gardening helps us explore personal
and deeps connections
• Gardening offers benefits more meaningful than
food
II. LEARNING AND ADAPTING
• We adapt to the local gardening circumstances
and needs
• Our interpretation of “organic” is unclear and
challenging
• Our gardens are works in progress
III. CLEAR COMMUNICATION
• We are aware of some methods of
communication, but we could use them more
• Ownership is not always well defined in our
gardens and may cause issues
IV. CITY RELATIONS
• We like the SCGI, but we would like more help/
support or a better understanding of
• A better explanation of policies would benefit us
V. SPREAD INSPIRATION
• We are highly motivated and we act upon that
(garden starters)
• Sometimes we struggle to maintain consistent
man power
VI. PART IN CULTURE
• Community gardening allows us to extend our
“home space” enjoyment to outside
• Gardeners find each other because it is a unique
culture
VII. REACHING OUT
• We like our food to contribute to the community
• Community gardening can allow us to create
city-wide synergies and networks from
effectively their involvement space in the
neighborhood help sources
VIII. HIERARCHY LEARNING
• Our methods of governing our gardens is a
balance between structure and flexibility
• We need to work on spreading our knowledge
and leadership skills
IX. PERSONAL SACRIFICES
• We also devote our money to gardening
• Gardening requires a large investment of our
spare time
• Community Outreach
• Gardening fosters our community development
• Our gardens impact uninvolved people too
Data was clustered into
groups, which formed
categories, and presented
universal topics for community
gardening. The approach
allowed for an objective view
of the gathered research
and presented the team
with subject spaces to form
insights in.
UNIVERSAL TOPICS

20. 21
I N S I G H T
report
I N S I G H T

21. 22
From the data-inspired,
universal topics, the team
noticed insights that
presented opportunities
for change. Specific
avenues were considered
in each and the team
formed design ideas to
bring those possibilities
to life. Each insight is
described, explored,
and followed by its
corresponding data.

22. 23
Insight
.DESIGN IDEAS.
HOW MIGHT WE
The act of gardening offers
more opportunities than just
creating food. The beauty,
community, sharing, and
learning enrich lives and
bring a sense of joy.
• Develop networks for help?
• Find a way to provide food to the needy?
• Promote enjoying nature?
• Use gardens as expression spaces?
• Promote starting meaningful relationship?
• Promote physical health?
FEED OUR
WITH MORE
FOOD
SOULS
THAN
1. Directory of the garden managers
with garden masters.
2. Inviting schools to have activities
on the community garden (such
as games).
3. Organize weekly yoga tour.
OPPORTUNITIES
there is an opportunity to:
Foster meaningful growth on a
community and personal level
1

23. 25
OPPORTUNITIES
HOW MIGHT WE
Savannah has its own unique
climate,weather,health
standards and soil issues,
and it it vital for gardeners
to understand them
and work within those
constrains.
there is an opportunity to:
Develop an information bank about
local gardening
• Connect knowledgeable people with
novices?
• Recognize knowlegeable people?
• Teach gardeners to thrive in the local
situation?
• Have an active community garden
culture all year long?
LANGUAGE
LOCAL LAW
of the
1. Savannah community garden
manual.
2. Provide information on how to
prepare or use the seasonal food.
3. Gardening tourism opportunity.
4. Welcome kit with local gardening
tips and local plants.
Insight
.DESIGN IDEAS.
2

24. 27
OPPORTUNITIES
TALK
WALK
there is an opportunity to:
Make each garden’s regulations or
desires explicit and visible
• Express the garden to participants and
outsiders?
• Develop sustainable systems to run the
gardens?
• Communicate and share garden news?
Community gardens
involve a lot of people so
communication about rules,
ownership and collaboration
should be established
and maintained in an
approachable manner.
WITH ME
WITH ME 1. Create artwork showing the ripe
versions of plants and proper
garden etiquette.
2. Develop universal signage to
show garden’s regulations.
3. For network communication, try
a photo contest and monthly
activity competition with prizes.
4. Have a posting board in local
garden shops to share news and
show products in action.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

25. 29
OPPORTUNITIES
CITY HALL
TO BRAWL
there is an opportunity to:
Clearly communicate the city’s
involvement and role in the
program
• Promote and advertise the initiative
more?
• Introduce user’s feedback into the
policy?
• Explain the reasons behind the
policy limitations?
• Cooperate with other city
programs?
The city of Savannah
set up the SCGI in order
to make dreams come
true, so eliminating any
negative feelings or
misunderstandings
is a must.
ISN’T LOOKING
1. Awareness campaign for the
program.
2. Create an infographic that
illustrates the city relationship
during the application process that
shows who to contact for what and
when you can expect help.
3. Create a safety bulletin that
describes the concerns behind all
of the regulations.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

26. 31
OPPORTUNITIES
There are highly motivated
people and people with
wavering interest involved
in community gardens;
finding a balance or
transfering that spirit
would be helpful.
COULD
SPREAD
there is an opportunity to:
Share knowledge and keep
volunteers enthusiastic
• Spread planting knowledge?
• Recruit and retain volunteers?
• Spread enthusiasm?
IF INSPIRATION
LIKE GERMS 1. Reward system.
2. Set up a program to teach
gardening basics as they pertain to
certain interest groups.
3. Exchange groups of volunteers –
help at the book drive or for a race
to get help at a garden day event
– and promote both groups at each
event.
Insight
,
n
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

27. 33
OPPORTUNITIES
ARE ALL
FRIENDS
there is an opportunity to:
Get to know your community
• Involve the neighbors?
• Network with other gardens?
• Be able to develop the culture in
Savannah further?
WE
HERE
Gardening is its own
culture and it brings people
together in their common
interests and enjoyments.
Public gardens make it
easier for people to find
each other.
1. App or website for network to
involve neighbors to be aware of
location of each community garden.
2. Facebook page to communication
in better way.
3. Create a “Garden Tour” event
program to swing by each garden
or have every weekend celebrate
each garden.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
2

28. 35
OPPORTUNITIES
The produce from
and functions of the
garden can be linked
to outside community
organizations to benefit
both parties.
STARTS
HAND
there is an opportunity to:
Connect resource and idea
stream through gardening
• Get familiar with community
resources?
• Take advantafe of the social benefits
of gardening?
• Promote tool sharing?
• Take advantage of other people’s
extra stuff?
• Offer access to professional aid?
AND WE WILL
REACH FOR THE
THEM TO YOU
1. Create SCGI discount card.
2. Post the needs of the garden
(tools, soil, man power, seeds, etc.)
and offer things in exchange.
3. Produce swap – bring an item and
get a vegetable.
4. Student design contests to make
project plans and then reward
students with recommendation
letters or proof of experience.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

29. 37
OPPORTUNITIES
Some gardeners have a
lot of knowledge, some
have a lot of leadership
skills, and every garden
needs those.
SHARING
CARING
there is an opportunity to:
Establish a mentorship culture
• Pass along gardening tips?
• Collect knowledge in a tangible form?
• Motive people to share their skills and
knowledge?
• Foster leadership training?
• Make gardening in Savannah more
approachable?
BRAIN
OF GARDEN
1. Mentor starter for beginners.
2. Organization of workshops by the
City of Savannah or SUGA.
3. Starter kit for beginners.
4. Time capsule project – capture the
garden culture, add from past, save
for future.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
2

30. 39
OPPORTUNITIES
Community gardeners
invest a lot of their time and
money into gardens that
they share with the other
workers, neighbors, etc.,
and they may not expect
something back, but they
might not mind!
SHARE
WEAR
there is an opportunity to:
Share the effort and cost
associated with gardening.
• Attract sponsors?
• Assign available help to needy
gardens?
• Attract volunteers that are needed?
• Distribute the responsibility?
THE
1. Weakly brain sharing meeting to
share the ideas and talent.
2. Create a sponsorship program
where people can contribute money
or supplies and receive updates on
programs and charity activities.
3. Post a swap board to trade excess
volunteers, tools, produce etc for
things your garden needs.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

31. 41
OPPORTUNITIES
Gardens in the
neighborhood bring
people together to
either directly interact
or enjoy the same
things from afar.
SEEDS
LOVE
there is an opportunity to:
Have widerspread interaction
within a community
• Increase community awareness of the
garden?
• Develop varying levels of participation?
• Communicate exstence of the garden?
• Promote the garden as a social space for
the community?
SOW
OF
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1
1. Create a “Garden Tour” event
program to swing by each garden.
2. Ask neighbors that surround the
garden to take a picture of their
view of it from their window and
make a photo display that shows
the surrounding view.
3. Host local art shows in the
gardens or picnics, music lessons.

32. 43
OPPORTUNITIES
The gardens are all
works in progress and
communication and
celebration of that
varies.
CAUTION!
there is an opportunity to:
Express and contribute to the
continuing garden development
• Communicate the status of garden
projects to outsiders?
• Collect community ideas for garden
development?
• Connect with outside help to ahieve
garden goals?
• Spread encouragement for finishing
projects?
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
1. Visual timelines that document
garden progress with pictures.
2. Post representations of goals so it
is visible to the public and people
may walk by and be able to help.
3. “Garden dreams” board in a shop
or café to get people thinking
about the projects and pique their
curiosity/helping.
Insight
HOW MIGHT WE
.DESIGN IDEAS.
1

33. 45
The contextual research and data
management processes employed in
this project identified key components
in the community garden culture of
Savannah, as well as in the status of the
Savannah Community Garden Initiative.
The insights formed helped identify
opportunities for positive change in the
system and the team addressed these
prospects with potential design ideas
that adhere to the perceived context
and attempt to bolster the success of
the gardens.
CONCLUSIONS

34. 46
THE COMMUNITY GARDENING CULTURE OF SAVANNAH IS UNIQUE TO THE
CITY’S CIRCUMSTANCES AND REFLECTS ITS RESIDENTS’ AMBITIONS.
THE SAVANNAH COMMUNITY GARDEN INITIATIVE PLAYS AN AUXILIARY
ROLE IN THIS CULTURE AND HAS POTENTIAL FOR A LARGER IMPACT.
DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INDIVIDUAL
GARDENS COULD BENEFIT BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE INVOLVEMENT.
INFORMATION ON GARDENING, MANAGEMENT, POLICY, AND BENEFITS
IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT IN COMMUNITY GARDENING FUNCTIONALITY.
THE BENEFITS AND EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY GARDENING HAVE A
REPUTABLE AND POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE COMMUNITY.

35. 47
A P P E N D I X
the process
A P P E N D I X

36. 48
Secondary
Research
1. Visit to Georgia’s
Historical Society
2. Concept, Flow,
and Process Maps
3. Structuring our
data for midterm
presentation
4. Five W’s for
synthesizing
and presenting
our secondary
research
1 2 3
43 3

37. 49
Observation
Shadowing
sessions
1. SCAD
2. Tybee Island
3. Moses Jackson
Advancement
Center
4. MetroStart
5. StarFish
6. Growing Edge
1 2
4 5 6
3

38. 50
War walls from
observations
Observation

39. 51
Initial Synthesis
on observations
1. Actor Network Map
2. Research Question
exercise
Synthesis
1
1
2
2
2 2
2

40. 52
Designing and
Testing our
probes.
1. Food Day Cultural
Probe’s Sketches
2. Food Day Brochure
3. Our Probes in
action!
Cultural
Probes
1
2
2 2 2
1 3 3
3 3 3

41. 53
Interviews
1. Carol Greenberg
(Midtown Miracle
Community
Garden)
2. Cody Simpson,
Kelsie Flanagan
(SCAD Community
Garden)
3. Francis Allen
(StarFish
Community
Garden)
4. Ben Ligenfelter
(Jackson Mosses
Advacement
Center’s Garden)
1 2
3 4

42. 54
1. Making
sense of
chaos.
• Clustering 1
(From yellow to
blue)
• Clustering 2
(From blue to
pink)
• Clustering 3
(From pink to
green)
2. Identifying
Insights
3. Coffee helps!
Affinity
Process
1 1 1
1
1 1
1
1
2 3

43. 55
Methods of Contextual Research | IDUS-711-02 | Prof. Sara Johnson | Fall 2013