Growing New Roots--Kansas Community Gardens 2012 Annual Conf
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Transcript of Growing New Roots--Kansas Community Gardens 2012 Annual Conf
Kansas Community Gardening—Growing New Roots
Kansas Community Garden Grants Team—Dr. Cheryl Boyer, Dr. Cary Rivard,
Frannie Miller & Evelyn Neier
Kansas Community Gardens
The Community Garden
Brings people together Gardeners learn from each other Gives a place to garden for those that don’t
have access Apartments or mobile homes Shaded yard Poor soil
Health
Nutrition Access to fresh, healthy food Increase consumption of vegetables Stretch food dollars
Physical Activity You can garden throughout your lifetime
Mental Health Outdoor activity
Impact of Community Gardens
• Economic Impact– Well maintained garden: ½ lb produce/sq ft area– Approximate value of at least $2/lb– Average 600 sq ft garden=300 lb produce– 300 lb X $2 = $600 produce– $600 - $70 investment = $530 return
– 2009 National Gardening Association Survey for home gardeners—numbers may vary for community garden where investment $ are lower
Planning
Good planning is critical Many gardens have failed because of knee jerk
reactions It’s more than just tilling under some soil
Need buy in of gardeners Grass roots effort
Determine needs of community Not a “one size fits all"
Types of Gardens
Neighborhood Community Garden Collective or Communal Garden School Garden Entrepreneurial Training Program Garden Mentoring Garden
Community GardensNeighborhood Allotment Gardens
(Produce goes to Individuals)
vs. Communal Gardens (Produce goes to Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, Charitable Groups)
Neighborhood Community Garden
Neighborhood Community Garden
Neighborhood Community Gardens
• Allotment Garden--Land is divided into plots for individual or family use. Land may be owned, rented or borrowed by the community garden.
• Gardens are usually organized and managed by the member gardeners.
• Most common type of community garden.
Collective or Communal Garden
Collective or Communal Garden
• Participants work in garden for a common goal (ex. Food pantry garden, grow produce to donate to low income families, gardeners share with each other, etc.)
• All for one and one for all• May struggle sustaining garden in long haul if you
do not have a good support base
School Gardens
School Gardens
• Outdoor Classroom– Science, math, language arts, nutrition, social
science, etc.,– Outdoor gathering space to enjoy nature and relax
• Goals– Help meet specific educational goals (state
education standards)– School beautification
Brainstorming Session
Is there a need for a garden? What is the purpose of the garden? What role will the garden play in the
community? Who will utilize the garden? What type of garden will meet our needs? Who will support the garden?
Organization and Governance
Garden Governance• Garden rules, By-Laws • Developed by the garden group• Specific to your situation• Provides for smooth operation of garden• Helps establish expectations of gardeners• Provides for appeal processes• Reviewed by Legal Counsel
Building a Strong Team
(Community) = (Garden)You are not a Community Garden without both Community and Garden
Building the Team
• Team Involvement and Camaraderie• Dedicated, motivated members• Diversity of ages, backgrounds, skills• Share the work load and responsibilities• Democratic process• Good communication
What are the key roles?
• Leader• Communicator/Publicity Person• Money person—treasurer• Recorder—secretary• Fundraiser• Dedicated Board Members• Garden mentors
• Coordinator or Garden Manager??
Community GardensSome LogisticsIrrigation
Water SourceCostUse Drip!!
ToolsHand ToolsSafety Issues
SuppliesMulchCompostSeeds and other
EquipmentTillers, mowers, etc. Shed
What about Perennial Crops?
Soil Improvement
• Organic matter (OM) improves soil in a number of ways– Loosens tight clays– Increases water-holding capacity– Increases cation exchange capacity– Soil “aggregates” and tilth
• How OM can be added– Compost
• Pre-plant or side-dressing
– Degradeable mulch– Crop residues– Cover crops / green manures
Adding Organic Matter
Soil Improvement
• Also known a “green manures”, cover crops are extremely important for soil health– Organic matter– Soil microbial health
• Suppress Weeds• Add / Recover nitrogen
– Highly-leachable N03
– Legume cover crops fix N
• Can be used as mulch– No-till or strip-tillage
• Can reduce excess nutrients (P)• Reduce soil erosion
Cover Crops
IrrigationTypes of irrigation systems
• Flood or furrow – Not typical
• Overhead / Sprinkler– Direct-sown crops– Frost protection– Cover crops
• Drip / Trickle– Low pressure vs high pressure– Not a “soaker hose”– Most efficient system– Reduced leaf wetness
Sources of Irrigation Water
• Surface Water– Creeks, streams– Rivers– Ponds
• Below-ground– Wells
• Treated water– City – Rural water districts.
Advantages vs. Disadvantages
Water filtrationAbove-ground water sources
• Screen Filters
• Plastic Disk Filters
• Sand Filters– Swimming pool– Stainless steel– Ceramic
The Drip System
• Inexpensive• Long rows• Inject fertilizer
Low pressure systems “drip tape”
The Drip System
• Much more expensive• Shorter rows• Long life of materials– Lower maintenance
• No pressure regulator• Can be purchased at
hardware stores
High pressure systems “drip tube”
vs.
Raised Beds
Raised Beds
Tools
Just about anything can be rented
Tools
Tool/Equipment Storage
Supplies
• Mulching is a valuable practice that is often overlooked.– Conserve soil moisture– Control weeds– Increase / reduce soil temperature– Disease management
• Organic Mulches– Leaves, straw, compost, wood chips,
pine straw
• Plastic Mulches– Colored mulches– Reflective mulches
Mulches
Kansas Community Garden Grants
• Joint project of K-State Research & Extension and the Kansas Health Foundation
• Grant funding for new Kansas community gardens
• Gardens may apply for up to $5,000 to help establish new gardens (site prep, water lines, sheds, fencing, large and small equipment, etc.)
Kansas Community Garden Grants
• Applications for 2013 due January 15, 2013. • 2013 application available at
www.kansascommunitygardens.org• If you have questions, contact Evelyn Neier,
[email protected] or 785—410-3760• Visit website for more info on community
gardening
www.kansascommunitygardens.org
• Information on Community Garden Grant• Resources• Videos• Other Grant Opportunities• Biographies of 2012 Grant Recipients
Resources
• Links to related websites– American Community Garden Association– Kansas Health Foundation– K-State Research & Extension sites
• Publications– Missouri Community Gardening Toolkit– How to Organize an Allotment Community Garden
(North Carolina Extension Publication)
Videos
• Community Garden Topics– Learning tools– Short videos to show to groups– How to organize a community garden, where to
site a garden, common garden features, budget items, gardening techniques, garden programming, etc.
2012 Garden Recipients
• Short bio of each garden• Any links to websites, Facebook pages, blogs,
etc.• Good way to get ideas for how different
gardens are structured, their activities, their goals, etc.
Starting a Community Garden
• Remember the importance of good planning
• Include the gardeners in the planning process
• Keep in mind that a community garden is a community within a community
QUESTIONS ??
For more information
Evelyn Neier4-H Youth DevelopmentK-State Research & [email protected]