How It Works

The garden committee sets the goals and objectives of the garden, and manages its  operation.  Community gardens are “collectives”, that is, a self-directed citizen group formed for the benefit of its members and the immediate community or neighbourhood.  The committee also manages the finances, makes any required purchases, disciplines members when necessary, and looks after all publicity, donations and other outside interactions.

The rules are set by the committee, and regulate aspects such as:

• Minimum and maximum plot areas per person
• Fees
• Minimum expectations of members (typically, members must tend their own plots weekly, and contribute a certain number of hours to communal plots and overall upkeep)
• Gardening methods to be used

Ultimately, the garden collective may consider formally incorporating as a non-profit society, which has certain advantages once a formal, self-sustaining organisation has been established.

The methods

Gardening styles vary widely depending on the local climate and the skills, knowledge and abilities of the gardener(s).  In this case, the following concepts will be a good starting point:

• Feed the Soil!  The “soil food web” is an evolving concept of soil as a living community of life packed with microorganisms that are fed by the plants growing in the soil, and that in turn support the growth of plants by making nutrients available.  The healthier the soil ecosystem, the better plants grow, and the more nutritious your veggies will be!  See http://www.soilfoodweb.ca/concepts/ for the basics.
• No chemicals!   Herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilisers are short-term “fixes” that harm the soil life, cause long-term declines in productivity and can result in toxic residues in our food.  Using new methods that actually work with nature to feed the living soil, we can minimise weeds, pests and plant diseases and eliminate the need for such artificial interventions
• No till!  (Or at least very little).  New understandings of soil have led to realisations that tillage, especially using rototillers and similar  implements, causes great harm to the trillions of important microorganisms that live in every handful of soil.  Better, less harmful and less strenuous methods exist!
• Permanent beds and permanent paths.  Keeping foot traffic on the paths reduces compaction, and makes gardening much less physically demanding in the long run.  Soils in the permanent beds are fed and tended, and will yearly gain in fertility and productivity.  Each gardener can be assigned the same bed year after year, and so will learn from experience as they care for their soil.  Permanent beds also make it easier to manage pest control and special techniques like solarization.
• Use local inputs.  Materials that would otherwise go to waste are great for feeding the soil:
• Fallen leaves from neighbourhood trees can be collected, composted and applied as mulch to the garden beds the next year, providing an excellent source of organic matter and micronutrients
• Wood chips for paths help control and absorb heavy rains, and in time become rotted enough to add to the soil.  In the right conditions, edible mushrooms can be grown in the wood chip pathways
• Manure, straw and hay from local farms, when available (and chemical-free), are further possible “food for the soil”
• Kitchen scraps are welcome additions to the compost pile
• Occasional purchased amendments, such as alfalfa pellets, bone meal ands other organic fertilisers, may be quite helpful especially in the first couple of years while the new soil is coming to life
• Compost!  Organic materials piled up this year will decompose into humus, which is a perfect addition to next year’s garden beds, and a suitable medium to plant seeds and transplants into.

Funding

• Annual garden fees should cover most ongoing costs, once the garden is established
• Start-up funds to cover the costs of initial setup and construction of the garden will be needed.  Local sponsorship and other contributions will be much-looked-for.  

Land

A community garden needs a sizable parcel of land, where numerous beds can be set up, and where permanent plantings of fruit trees and shrubs can be established.  The land should be uncontaminated by previous industrial uses, and should not be at risk of conversion into some other development years down the road.

(A suitable parcel of land exists, located in the centre of a residential block on the west side of Meadow Lake.  This site has space for many gardeners, and a proposed layout could include:

• Up to 18 beds, 4 feet wide and 90 feet long, with 2-foot pathways between, which can each be divided among one, two or three gardeners
• Perimeter plantings of hardy fruit trees, fruiting shrubs, and perennials such as raspberries and asparagus
• A central area for compost, a small tool shed, and benches and a fire pit for celebrations
• Water may potentially be sourced by agreement with an adjacent landowner
• See rough draft: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ApHArUTNdaoQDSb1vIaC1YgU41-PkiBgaapORasbL8g/edit?usp=sharing)

Upon completion of the “first steps” (see below), a proposal can be presented to the City for approval for the use of the selected site on a permanent basis. 

Following that, we roll up our sleeves!

Next article: First Steps