Gardening the Community
Youth Agriculture Project
A Program of the Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Inc.
Gardening the Community is a youth-centered community based urban agriculture project in Springfield, MA.
Through growing organic food and riding bicycles in the city, we introduce and foster principles of sustainable living.
Gardening the Community Program Events and Information:
Who are we?
Gardening the Community (GTC) is a youth-centered community based urban agriculture program in Springfield, MA. We grow organic fruits and vegetables on formerly abandoned lots while learning about and practicing agriculture, environmental stewardship, and community development. Our vision is to help introduce and foster principles of sustainable living through urban agriculture.
What's Our History?
GtC was started in 2002 on a ¼ acre vacant lot on Central Street in Springfield. The land, full of debris, was cleared by the youth and the soil was prepared for growing vegetables. In 2004, the neighborhood council offered the use of ½ acre additional garden space within an established community garden further down Central Street. The youth of the program grew food for market and donation to shelters and each had a plot of their own to bring produce home. In 2005, our garden land was put up for sale for development. We organized the community to try to convince the City to support youth and community gardens. In 2006, we identified new land for our garden through a local business owner. Since then, we have been working with the City to expand the gardening the land and secure gardens in Springfield in the future.
How do we spend our time?
Gardening the Community:
· Employs 12 teenagers each year for spring, summer, and fall
· Grows thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables on city land
· Sells vegetables at a market stand in the neighborhood as well as at a local restaurant and health food store
· Delivers all produce to market and stores with use of bicycles and bicycle trailers to reduce air pollution and build healthy lifestyle choices
· Integrates rain collection and water conservation methods into our growing practices to reduce our dependence on the City water supply and to practice low-input farming
· Assists in providing vegetables to a local senior center and Springfield businesses
· Starts gardens in resident backyards to build family self-sufficiency and health
· Takes field trips to farms, non-profits, and community groups to deepen knowledge of agriculture and social change
· Hosts groups from around the region to expose youth and adults to the role that urban agriculture can play in community transformation
What are our dreams?
Gardening the Community brings beauty, healthy activity, and good food to Springfield. In addition to our current programming, we hope to:
· Obtain a permanent garden site with an urban agriculture youth center to maximize our impact in the community
· Work with the City to identify land to be put aside permanently for youth and community gardens
· Paint a mural to beautify the wall that provides the backdrop for our garden
· Integrate perennial food producing plants into our garden systems to increase sustainability, conserve water, and prevent erosion
· Design and plant a "rain garden" whose purpose will be to filter rain and run-off through plant root systems
Who helps us make this happen?
Our partners:
· NOFA/Mass staff and Board
· Old Hill Neighborhood Council
· Springfield College Americorps Program
· CISA (Community Involved in Supporting Agriculture)
· American International College
· Parks and Recreation of Springfield
· Mason Square Senior Center
· Local residents and neighbors
Inkind support comes from:
· Brookfield Farm, www.brookfieldfarm.org/
· Old Friends Farm, www.oldfriendsfarm.com/
· Red Fire Farm, www.redfirefarm.homestead.com/files/index.htm
· The City of Springfield
· Mitchell Machine, www.mitchellmachine.com
· Cover Technologies
· Sixteen Acres Garden Center, www.sixteenacresgardencenter.com/
Financial support comes from:
· The Greenleaf Foundation
· Massachusetts Environmental Trust
· LMG Supporting Foundation
· Haymarket People's Fund
· New England Grassroots Environment Fund
· The Open Field Foundation
· Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom
· Individual Donors
For more information about the program, or to find out how you can get involved with us please contact:
GTC Program Coordinator, Kristin Brennan, gtc@nofamass.org
This page was last modified on December 08, 2008 at 7:51:16 AM.
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