DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY GARDEN
Suggestions from UUSS, Unitarian-Universalist Society of Sacramento

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Discussion and Tentative Decisions First

Possible locations: Does it have sunlight most of the day? Vegetables need lots of sun.

Water: Accessible? Water pressure? Hand watering? Sprinklers? In ground irrigation? Timers? Electricity hookups if on timers. If using soaker hoses, buy the same type at the same store for consistency in water output.

Planting: in-ground or raised beds? What size plots? How many? Will you have raised beds for seated or wheelchair gardeners?

Fencing: (Keeps dogs out) If this is an issue for your group, discuss what type of fence (wood, wire, wrought iron). Get three quotes from fencing companies; then decide if hiring a contractor or using volunteer labor.

Seasons: Will you have year round gardening or only in the summer? April through September? October through March?

Pathways and Bark: Spacing. To meet ADA requirements, beds must be five feet apart. Tomatoes and other crops tend to grow out into pathways.

Playground bark is the only bark ADA approved. It costs more but lasts longer, has some “give” when walking on it, and wheelchairs and walkers can traverse it. Will you put down weed cloth before spreading bark?

Purpose: Should the produce go to a Food Bank? Individual gardeners and a church produce stand? To the church members only? Open to the community to garden (this may be an insurance issue and should be checked out with your organization’s insurance agent). Do you want to survey your congregation/organization first, asking how many think it is a good idea, how many will support a Garden with start-up donations, and how many are interested in having a Garden plot?

Who will oversee the Garden operation? A Garden Council or an existing committee? What will be the responsibilities of the Garden Council? Note: People who love to garden are great people, with lots of opinions. How much uniformity or individualism do you want in your garden? Write what you decide in the Bylaws.

Who has to approve to move ahead? Board of Trustees? Ministers/Priests? President of congregation? Before meeting with them, prepare a detailed Proposal.

Where is the Money coming from? And how do you access it? Do you need to set up a special account to track costs? Will church staff be involved in tracking these changes? Does it add work to existing jobs or is the garden work to be through volunteers only?

Detailed Proposal: Give to approval persons or boards. Including all facets helps in developing timelines and work parties. Include a sketch of the proposed garden, bed layout and irrigation, costs to set-up and maintain the Garden; this will take research, going to garden/home improvement stores to estimate lumber costs, irrigation systems, fencing, soil and amendments, and bark. Note: This was our initial proposal which evolved during the process.

• Sketch of the proposed garden including bed layout, irrigation lines, hose bibs, compost area, any rest areas, etc.
• Bylaws aka Rules of the garden.
• Plot Application, including gardeners’ responsibilities. There are many samples on the internet.

Date: Assuming you have positive answers and decisions to all the previous questions, what is the goal date to have the garden ready to plant? To answer this question, the weather is involved, a special date/occasion for your church (Earth Day in April) or first of winter planting in October? Is there a way for other groups in the congregation to participate? (Children planting or a kids’ garden?) Have a dedication!

Soil and Amendments: Decide with the gardener group what type of soil will be used or if additional material is needed. 50% top soil/50% compost? Soil only? Amendments left to individual gardeners at their expense?

Implementation

Work backwards from your start date to plan Work Parties. Break the work down into doable 3-4 hour stints (it’s heavy work!)

• Clearing the property: cut and haul debris, trees, and bushes; rototill, rake, level, plan and measure for layout.
• Decide on how to irrigate early in the process. It will affect your layout and what you do first. (Example: Put in irrigation or put in raised beds and the irrigation after beds are in.)
• Building raised beds. Depending on lot size, it may take two work parties at least, if the lumber and hardware has been purchased already. Suggestion: select volunteers who have some experience with power tools and reinforcing theory. Dirt is heavy and wet dirt even heavier. When filling raised beds, lightly water between soil dumps to lessen the “sinking” later.
• Laying out the raised beds, requires leveling them, adding dirt (coordinating deliveries with landscaping companies and your work parties), and having plenty of equipment (wheelbarrows, rakes, and shovels) ready to go. Also water, sun screen and gloves.
• Will soil amendments be necessary if planting in the ground? By (tractor spreading, by hand shovel). How will the rows be lined up and dug? Where are the pathways?
• Irrigation: Get it in and check to make sure it works evenly throughout the garden.
• Coordinate Bark delivery with Work Parties and equipment.
• Composting Garden materials: Designate a compost area for garden waste, or ask a volunteer to make compost bins.
• Weeds: Weeds are the only certainty in gardening! Communicate clearly where weeds are to be disposed—not in the compost pile.
• Fencing: Can be the last step. It is easier to get into the garden area with equipment if not fenced, rather than through a garden gate.

Security: Is this an issue for you? There is a difference between some tomatoes missing (someone needed food?) and vandalism (pulling up tomato plants). Do you leave the garden gate open or lock it? Can people really be kept out?

Enthusiasm: Gardeners are lovely people who see the connection between the earth, plants, trees, animals and people. Not all people want to garden, or are physically able to, but many may want to water, or harvest, distribute the produce or staff a produce stand. The more volunteers the better! A picnic table or some chairs will welcome others to enjoy the green growth. Name your garden! We held a contest (a hummingbird feeder was the prize).

Meetings: After set up and development, quarterly may be enough, or once a month potlucks in the garden. Another method is to set up a web link at your church where after subscribing, all on the list can, via their email, ask questions, make comments, share gardening tips, receive notifications of meetings.

Harvesting: When produce is ready, it doesn’t wait, it rots. Will you harvest every Sunday before or after services? During the week? Rotate harvesters? This is a serious commitment. We ask each gardener to harvest and staff the produce stand one or two times a season.

Garden Clean Ups: At the beginning and end of each season. Involve the congregation; ask them to come for an hour to work. Clean everything out of the beds, turn over compost; put away hoses and tools if not gardening in the winter and in the spring get those back out. Have snacks and fun.

Evaluation: After a season or a year, experience will dictate changes. Discuss successes and problems, propose solutions, evaluate finances, and most importantly…CELEBRATE.

You are greening the world, increasing communication, providing a growing sanctuary for your congregation and a learning center, promoting healthy eating, and connecting with a community. ENJOY.

Give us a call or send us a note to discuss aspects of creating a garden for your community or visit our UUrth Song Garden. We have available our initial proposal, Bylaws, Garden Council guidelines, and application form. We chose to have individual plots (rented at $20 per season) and plots solely for UUSS’s weekly Produce Stand (produce is available on a donation basis or free to congregation members and friends).

UUSS
2425 Sierra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 958
916-483-9283

Rev. 4/11