Getting Involved

Another instance of my brain thinking BIG things! WATCH OUT!

I was running the other day, and as I huffed along, my brain meandered through a variety of ideas. I saw someone's extra large lot and chaotic garden. While we have one of our own, this one reminded me more of a community style garden. Well that streamed my thinking to other gardens I have seen in cities that promote Community Gardening...and that led to the fact that we don't have one here in my town. That led to my involvement with some seriously rocking mamas here in town, that would appreciate a community garden and quite possible could be huge factors in creating one.....Yeah, that's my plan.

I am tossing around the concept of proposing a community garden to our City Council, and if that doesn't get accepted perhaps in conjunction with the school district. When I lived in San Jose, there were several, one being at the school I taught and others at various parks I worked at with the Parks and Rec Dept. There is an awesome one where my mom lives....

A community garden has so many positives outcomes to it! I am so excited at the prospect of proposing this and hopefully being involved in launching it. Our Council is very conservative and so embroiled in internal politics due to city growth and financial failures that I think our proposal has to be well thought out and planned. It needs to have a clear outline, with expected outcome, and city involvement. Some of the results I hope to achieve are:

• A heightened awareness of organic gardening-including composting
• Helping people to understand more ecological water usage (assuming we aren't rationing water due to drought....)
• Utilizing "dead" or underused urban spaces.
• Teaching people to appreciate producing their own foods-and getting a bit further away from processed foods.
• Involving the youth
• Bringing people together in the interest of neighborhood and community in a city that tends to be full of commuters.
• Reconnecting with our town's agricultural history

To begin my quest, I have started to talk it up with some mamas that I think are likely to be interested, and focused. I also have been researching online, and hope to investigate nearby cities that have successful gardens. My mom has informed me that I need to find a Master Gardner to help in the planning. Let's face it, my talents are still developing as a grower of green life. Our family garden is mostly due to the talents and energies of my dear husband. BUT I am motivated and LOVE projects. I am committed to our town of residence, and to public education....it will be a teaching moment of grand scale.....

I will update as I proceed, but I thought it would be nice to share this with my blog friends. If you know of any fantastic Garden models, or have any words of advice, I am all ears.