Community gardens build healthy neighborhoods...
HOW TO START A COMMUNITY GARDEN
BENEFITS OF A
COMMUNITY GARDEN...
a
Gardening gets your body
moving, improving your
fitness and reducing your
risk of disease.
a
Gardens provide
individuals and families
access to fresh, nutritious
food.
a
Community gardens can
increase property values
in low-income
neighborhoods.
a
Gardens get people
outdoors where they can
talk, get to know their
neighbors, and keep track
of what is going on in the
neighborhood.
a
Gardening is a mentally
stimulating activity that
may reduce depression.
a
Gardens inspire other
changes in a
neighborhood, increasing
community pride.
a
Community gardens add
beauty and heighten
awareness and
appreciation for living
things.
a
Gardens bring people
back into contact with
nature and the outdoors.
There are many ways to start a community garden. Whether
you're working with friends, neighbors, a school, or a local
organization, there are many things you'll want to consider. The
American Community Garden Association's website has great
resources that can help. You’ll find checklists and in-depth
A
“ community garden
is an area used for
growing plants or
animals, which has been
collaboratively created and
information on each of the following steps at: is maintained by members
www.communitygarden.org/learn/starting-a-community- of the public. A community
garden.php garden can take place on
public or private land and
1. Gather Neighbors & Community Members can involve a broad cross-
What kind of garden? Choose a well-oganized coordinator. Form section of the public, as in a
committees to accomplish tasks. Consider a sponsor. Choose a neighborhood community
name. Decide on a budget and administration. garden. Or it can involve
specific sectors of the
2. Find a Garden Site population, such as school
Identify the owner. Do you need a lease agreement? Do you need garden that involves
insurance? Site should be relatively flat and get at least 6 full students, teachers, parents,
hours of sun each day. Consider availability of water. Do a soil test and other community
for contaminants and fertility. members who support the
garden for education. In the
3. Create & Build Your Garden curriculum, the term
Clean the site. Develop your design. Gather your resources. community garden is
Organize work crews. How large should plots be? How will plots generally used as a broad,
be laid out? Mark plots with names. Plan for a storage and catch-all term. Sometimes,
compost area. Will the garden be organic? more descriptive names are
used, such as school garden
4. Create the Gardening Community or neighborhood garden.”
Are there conditions for membership? Will there be dues? How
will plots be assigned? Will some things be done cooperatively ~ Growing Communities Curriculum
(e.g., composting)? If someone leaves, who will get their plot?
The American Community Gardening
Association, 1 (877) 275-2242
How will you deal with vandalism? Will there be a children’s plot? www.communitygarden.org
Will there be regular meetings? Will gardeners share tools? Will
there be written rules, and how will they be enforced?
5. Insurance
Try working with an agent who deals with many different carriers
(so you can get the best policy for your needs); is local and has
already done this type of policy or one that works with social
service agencies in the area. continued...
Physical Activity & Nutrition Program
1101 West College Ave., Spokane, WA 99201-2095
509.324.1555 | TDD 324.1464
HOW TO START A COMMUNITY GARDEN
Continued...

6. Managing the Garden

What is your purpose? What are your short and long-term objectives? How are
decisions to be made? Who chooses leaders and how? How will work be shared? Who
does what? How will you raise money? Membership dues, fund raising, grants,
sponsors? Are you open to change? Do you want to be incorporated, act as a club, or
create a non-profit? Do you want formal bylaws? Go online to see sample guidelines
and rules, as well as application forms, and more.

7. Troubleshooting to reduce vandalism:

w
Make a sign for the garden; let people know who the garden belongs to. LEARN MORE:
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Consider different types of fences.
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Create a shady meeting area in the garden and spend time there.
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Invite everyone in the neighborhood to participate from the very beginning. SPOKANE RESOURCES:
Persons excluded from the garden are potential vandals.
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Involve the neighborhood children in learning gardens. Spokane Community Gardens
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Plant raspberries, roses or other thorny plants along the fence as a barrier. www.spokanegardens.com
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Make friends with neighbors whose windows overlook the garden. Trade them Find local gardening information, a
flowers and vegetables for a protective eye. gardeners’ listserve, and join monthly
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Harvest all ripe fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Red tomatoes falling from meetings.
the vines invite trouble.
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Plant potatoes, other root crops or a less popular vegetable such as kohlrabi City of Spokane Water Department
along the side walk or fence. Locate access to water from city water
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Plant the purple varieties of cauliflower and beans or the white eggplant to mains, taps and meter applications:
confuse a vandal. 625-6300
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Plant a “vandal’s garden” at the entrance. Mark it with a sign: “If you must take
food, please take it from here.” Spokane County Assessor's Office
Locate ownership of a piece of land
8. Funding: www.spokanecounty.org/assessor
Funding can come from many sources limited only by the creativity of those
developing the garden. Local businesses, churches, community organizations and WSU Spokane County Extension
neighborhood councils close to the garden might help out with in-kind services, labor www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/
or money. Some large companies have charitable foundations that make grants for Spokane/eastside/
gardens especially if you are connected to a 501(c)3 organization. Check out the Free fact sheets, plant clinics, and Master
Foundation Center's Foundation Directory at http://fconline.fdncenter.org/. Gardener classes. For more information or to
schedule a class, call Pat Munts @ 477-2173
or by email: pmunts@spokanecounty.org

Second Harvest Inland Northwest,

Plant a Row for the Hungry
OTHER RESOURCES: www.2-harvest.org; 534-6678
Starting a Community Vegetable Garden - New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension
Service Bulletin H-246; http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H-246.pdf
Excess produce and fruit from gardens can be
donated to local food banks. To locate a food
Community Garden Start-up Guide - University of California Cooperative Extension bank go to the website and look under “Get
http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/garden/articles/startup_guide.html Help” for a list of food banks or call 534-
Openlands Urban Conservation: Steps to Start a Garden on a Vacant Lot
6678. When donating excess produce to the
www.openlands.org/urbangreening.asp?pgid=108 food banks, ask for a Plant a Row for the
Hungry receipt. This allows us to track how
How Does Our Garden Grow? A Guide to Community Garden Success many pounds of produce are donated and
Laura Berman; Canada: Foodshare Metro Toronto, 1997; (416) 392-1668
you can get a $1.50/pound credit on your
What Good Is Community Greening - David Malakoff federal taxes.
American Community Gardening Association: 877-275-2242; www.communitygarden.org
City of Spokane Comprehensive Plan -
Open Space & Future Parks Planning
www.spokaneplanning.org/Documents/citypl
an/text/c11_neig.pdf

Funds provided with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention through a partnership with the WA State Department of Health