Growing a community of food

There isn't anything that feels as good as growing your own vegetables for dinner. My grandfather grew every bit of produce we ate in the back yard. The minute he got home from work, he'd give my grandmother a kiss and off he'd go to water and to harvest some delicious treat.

Because everything we ate was that fresh, I probably enjoyed vegetables more than most kids.

Not everyone has a yard big enough to grow a garden...even a balcony is a luxury to some. Before they moved to Florida, my grandparents gardened on the fire escape of their New York City apartment. They also took in live turkeys to save them from holiday dinner tables, but that's another story all together.

For many years, I didn't garden at all...that was for people from the old country like my grandparents. Somehow, I was better than that. What a dummy.

A few years ago, I started growing tomatoes and herbs on my front porch. Over time, I added scallions and a few onions that had been sprouted from scratch. The crown of every pineapple I bought at the store was planted along the front of my house. Today, one of those crowns is sporting its own little pineapple.

This year, my oldest daughter and I put down the money to rent a 16-by-4 foot plot of land in our city's community garden. A community garden is a shared plot of land with several dozen areas  where people can grow their own vegetables or flowers. Community gardens are not just a place to give those who couldn't otherwise afford a place to grow, they turn an unused piece of land (sometimes a space between buildings) into a beautiful green space that can be enjoyed by the whole community.

Being in Florida, ours is a year round garden. That has the advantage of year round crops. On the other hand, we have just plain sand in which to plant. As you can see in the photo above, compost-enhanced soil makes for successful planting.

Many large cities, and lots of small ones like ours, have community gardens in areas that might be considered food deserts. Food deserts are urban areas where  fresh, good quality food is often unavailable. For a small fee, residents can get a small plot where they can grow enough fresh food to provide healthy options for themselves and their families.

Often, the community garden is a place where the urban farmers can learn from each other about growing plants or take classes, sometimes provided by the local extension service, on gardening matters. Right now, most of the social interaction between gardeners is limited to Facebook pages and, a chance spotting of another gardener several plots away. Gardeners are still growing, but these days, social distancing practices keep us far apart.

Community gardens began in the US in the 1970s as a hodgepodge of projects, but in 1979, the American Community Garden Association (ACGA) was formed to help gardeners and planners support each other and build sustainable organizations that would bring food and resources to struggling communities.  Today, the ACGA helps community organizers put together gardens and offers gardening resources for those who are planting their own gardens.

Some community gardens include things like bee hives to provide fresh honey for the members at a reduced cost. Most abide by strict organic growing practices that include all-natural pest control, such as a bat house at the garden where we are members.

While suburbanites and those who live in the more rural areas may have plenty of space to plant their own produce, there are others who do not have that advantage. Lack of space and of the knowledge of planting can leave those without access to fresh fruit and vegetables at a continued disadvantage.

If you're interested in community gardening, check if there is already a garden in place. If not, check out the ACGA website for resources on how to start one in your community.