Gang Green: The City Council's Looking to Spread the Seed of the Community Garden

• Sure I read it. Hence my comments which still stand. I notice you didn't use the word "only." Very clever of you.

• Did you not bother to read ANYTHING at all in my posts? So I view the approach to these funds with caution, based on my experiences with the City of Dallas and in creating community gardens in the south Dallas communities in which I work. If there ever was a Pollyanna, it is me. But I have to balance that wide-eyed optimism with reality. It's one thing to discuss serious issues on a blog with anonymous posters but as knottygirl suggested, I have been in the trenches in South Dallas, and if you bothered to read anything that I wrote, you will see that I have had a multitude of positive experiences as well. This isn't whinnig and I challenge YOU to get involved in cracking a tough nut as community gardens on south Dallas. Google Groundwork Dallas to see some of the things that we do.

• cp, Why not stop whining and instead reveal in success? I get so tired of the old "oh no that wont work here because of this and that" and so on. When someone steps up into that great grey area of group involvement and says that ONLY this will work and ONLY that will work then one ought to be suspicious of those comments immediately.

• A.L.- I agree with everything you say, but here is my cautious tale: that community gardens have to start within the community. If people say they want something and have the resources to accomplish that something, but the sum of the actual WORK is left to the community that for whatever reasons can't seem to get organized along those lines, then that's what dooms a community garden project to failure. And, I'll just say this: community gardens is just one of many programs that we have. And we do host many volunteer days doing things like landscaping and pocket parks and dumping cleanups in local communities in South Dallas, and we always see the same thing: the community is for it, wants it, is happy to have it but won't lift a finger to participate. Happened this last weekend at our tire dump cleanup- lots of kudos from the community but also a lot of front-porch-sitting, watching the volunteers from other areas of town do the work. Very frustrating. But, good to know that others have had better luck than me. I suppose there's hope yet.

• cp, I don't know you and I don't know anything about your projects. I can only speak to the success I have seen in Dallas working in other community gardens. In my dealings with many potential community gardening groups, I have found that there is too much delegation and too many things which have to be decided by a committee. Ultimately no one is responsible and no one steps up to the plate to get things done. If people are excited about having a garden and then it fails, then it is either an organizational problem or a growing problem. Too many rules and too few vegetables go a long way to kill a garden, no matter how much you invest. If you rules take up more than one page, you have too many. If you don't include garden education in your package, then you are doomed because the second year, your garden will produce nothing if you don't maintain the soil biology. There are people who can help and are willing to take on the challenge of making community gardening work in your area. I spoke to the folks at Texas Discovery Gardens this morning and there are at least three projects underway in the same general area of your former gardens. All are considered successful. As I said earlier, community gardens build communities, not just gardens.

• I know Don, I have worked with Don before and he is a supporter of my non profit. And maybe I am not being very fair here because the southeast Dallas garden at the Our Savior Episcopalian church is very successful and we are also involved in that garden. And, good for your garden in Lake Highlands, I'm glad someone directed you to this page so that you all could tout your many successes. I am not saying that community gardens are bad, nor am I bashing the work of successful gardens, but like knottygirl said (whom I have never met, BTW) your community is highly organized and the communities that I work in are not. We tried to start a community garden twice at the Larry Johnson Rec Center on Dixon and once at the TR Hoover Center on Bexar. Each time the community said they wanted it and I even incorporated gardening into our Green Team program (local teens in engaged in summertime service learning work) twice at LJ. The parents gave a passing nod, even watched their kids do the digging, I handed out instructions for the student to get out and water every morning before we picked them up for trail work, including weekends. I talked to the parents who all gushed over how great it was. Unfortunately when the summer ended (and the Green Team program was over for the year) the employees at the rec center tended the garden and harvested the fruits and vegetables for themselves. We work in South Dallas, and I am constantly going to community meetings and ringing the bell for community gardens. People say they want gardens, but then they can't get organized. My org is not necessarily a tool for community organizing, and cost has never been a issue for us (we get lots of grants too), but when it comes time to stick hands in the dirt- like on Bexar Street- it's us another volunteer group and two people from the community who also work at the Center. I am glad that the city is pursuing a grant for funding more community gardens, but my approach to how and where those funds will be spent is cautious- we also have to work with the city on various things, and in my experience, if the city doesn't really believe in what thy are doing and doesn't have a champion to get behind a project, then two things will happen: 1) the city gives the money back, which it does, more often that you'd suspect, or 2) the city does all the work and it eventually becomes a de facto city program.

• The last information I heard was that GICD continues to receive absolutely no help from the City of Dallas. Many of their gardeners and volunteers live in the areas where their gardens are located. Mr. Lambert also works diligently in finding groups that want to do community service projects. The best gardeners and the best volunteers come from the immediate area around the garden. People get discouraged and quit when they do not see the results they expect from their gardens. It has happened at LHCG and in GICD gardens. That's why education is so important. I don't know CP and I don't know the circumstances of her gardening experience, I can only share what I have witnessed. If you go to the GICD web-site, you will find that Mr. Lambert is the pioneer of community gardening in Dallas and he has worked with many, many groups over the years. The last time I spoke to Mr. Lambert, he had many, many projects on his plate. The best thing for anyone who wants to start a garden to do is to be a volunteer at a community garden and learn the process from the root system up. Invest your time, as have the people who are successful community gardeners, in learning the skill set then you will also have a great garden, regardeless of location. By the way, kids love gardens and are always willing workers. They just need to be supervised.

• Knottygirl" seems to imply that just because two people have failed in starting gardens in the Fair Park area that no one cares. ******************* I don't know which two people you are referring to. I was quoting cp's comment about efforts by her non-profit organization to set up community gardens in South Dallas communities. They failed, even with her group's enthusiastic support, because the community did not want to do the hands-on work once the initial set up was finished. Tell me this about GICD gardens: Do they keep on going without lots and lots of help from the city or from volunteers who live outside the particular community, or do the members of that community step up and do the bulk of the work once things are up and running? In cp's experience, that hasn't happened. If GICD is in fact getting the neighbors to work on these gardens, that's great, and maybe they'll work with other groups that want to achieve the same long-term success.

• If you want to talk about success for community gardens in lower income areas of the city, you should thank Don Lambert of Gardeners in Community Development for the many gardens his organization has started over the years that continue to flourish. I don't know of any community garden that can match the GICD gardens for dontaing food to the poor. I have personally talked to many groups about starting gardens in some of the lowest income areas of the city. Two things always come up to kill the deal, city code enforcement rules relating to water meters on vacant land along with the cost of installing a water meter and a lack of funding. It appears the funding issues are being resolved. Now we just need to find a way for the city to make code enforcement laws, which are written by your city council and only enforced by the very good people in code enforcement, more agreeable to starting gardens. "Knottygirl" seems to imply that just because two people have failed in starting gardens in the Fair Park area that no one cares. I would be happy to work with any group that wants to start a garden and I know the people at Texas Discovery Gardens would be happy to assist. "Knottygirl" the ball is in your court, we are willing to help. You find the group and we will be there to help. The realism here is that you haven't explored your options and haven't asked for help.

• We have built two community gardens in South Dallas communities and each time they were essentially abandoned by the community. They think it's neat until they realize that they will have to work to make the vegetables grow. ***************** I'm delighted to hear from the Lake Highlands community gardeners, but did you even read what cp wrote above? She's been there, done that, at least twice. I'd love to see more community gardens closer to me in Lakewood, Little Forest Hills, etc., but those communities can self-organize and self-finance a community garden if someone steps up. cp's been in the trenches in areas where there isn't as much disposable income, people don't have yards to care for, where there is a much more pressing *need* for community gardens, and the long-term support and interest isn't there yet. Maybe it'll be there one day, but until the rest of you have ventured away from the safe confines of Lake Highlands and tried setting up gardens in other areas (how about starting a community garden in the Fair Park area, so the nice folks at TDG can teach those organic gardening classes to their next-door neighbors?), it's not very attractive for you to take potshots at other people for being "naysayers." We all like the idea of community gardens, and the Lake Highlands project is a fantastic example of what community gardens can bring to an area. Getting them going in other parts of town is going to be the sticking point. Discussing the issues clearly without rushing in with a huge rah-rah-rah isn't negativity--it is realism.

• cp writes "the whole concept of community garden just hasn't caught on here in Texas". I beg to differ - San Antonio, http://greenspacesalliance.org/community/gardens_program/ , Houston, http://www.urbanharvest.org/programs/cgardens/index.htm , and Austin all have active and growing community garden programs. A little over a year ago my wife and I signed up for a plot at the Lake Highlands Community garden with the idea that it would be nice to have vegetables that didn't taste like cardboard. I did not consider the community aspect of the garden at that time, but it has become the best part of the experience. If suitable land can be found it is relatively easy for a middle class neighborhood to have a thriving garden and there are several groups working with the city now to start a garden. There are more challenges to accomplish the same thing in disadvantaged areas. Where the city can help the most is in land use regulation. The garden must be accessible to its gardeners and provide some security from poaching and vandalism. In most neighborhoods that means being in a residential block. Current zoning regulations generally don't allow for that use. Once the garden is built it will take some long-term nurturing and encouragement and financial support to make it a success but the pay off can be substantial perhaps even life changing for the participants.

• CP writes (and Mr. Wilnosky concurs): "Do we think Dallas can actually pull that off? If they are all such the rage, then why aren't there already more of them, like in so many other cities?" CP, you say your non-profit offers start-ups help with community gardens, yet the follow-through is lacking when push comes to shove. Ladies & gentlemen, before you lump Lake Highlands in with your woe-begone tails and lack of proper research, please pay our garden a visit and see just what follow-through, band-aids, and ibuprofen have yielded in our community. (Well said, rarepair & wormrancher.) I, too, having a professional non-profit background (and all that it entails) combined with a not-so-green-thumb, wondered what in the world my significant other had roped us into back in 2007... Seriously, had he relegated us to dirt farming as we sweltered under the hot summer sun and dug asphalt chunks out of a former city parking lot?? And, yet, today this garden flourishes! Our planting and tending and harvesting, all community-based AND city-endorsed� maybe, just maybe, it represents new model in the public/private partnership method. Who knows? And I even voted republican in the last major election�. So, for those of us who are making it work (thank you City of Dallas employees and all our LH community volunteers - you know who you are), on behalf of all the LHCG members we affectionately say, "there is such a thing as municipal coordination, Mr. Wilnosky." And, again, for those of us who are not part of the worn-out problem and beat-down masses who expect much for little given, please step aside CP, the movers and shakers are gardening. And it's working. If your program isn't, please tell us where to sign-up. You've met up with a group who puts its money where its mouth is. Thanks in large part to AL Nickerson and a vision that came to Lake Highlanders as a gift. Without reservation, we welcome Mr. W. and CP to please come visit anytime. Personally guided tours are free and available at your convenience. Come be a part of the solution� and taste a better tomato than you ever thought possible�. certainly better than those provided by the conglomerate agri-business entities that tell us our food is safe, nutritious and tasty. But, that�s a blog for another day. Peace out.

• And the fine Mr. Nickerson is correct--nothing unites a community like commiserating about the uncooperative Texas weather or the war against cucumber beetles and bermuda grass.

• As in any volunteer or community venture, there will be a percentage of people who do the majority of work and stick to the project, and others who decide it is too much and hand the baton on. That reality is just human nature, not something to "bah, humbug!". Perhaps the reason you aren't getting interest in leading a CG effort, is that most don't mind giving community effort, but many are intimidated in becoming the leadership of such a grand venture (not every community is filled with corporate accountants, tax attorneys, PR gurus and other executives that would easily make a Nonprofit Board). Here the City has a plan to help alleviate/guide that leadership obstacle, and it is the same old booing from the Peanut Gallery. Furthermore, the volunteers may have the desire, but not the gardening background to feel comfortable leading the initial charge. Again, the City wants to help fill that education need. Do I really hear you cynics bashing the City, other Gardens and Gardeners here who are trying to grow local, organic produce for their families, neighbors and charity? I applaud those who educate, encourage and enable others to be more concientious of how to make a personal environmental and health impact, grow and prepare healthier food, turn blacktop into greenspace and extend blistered and muddy hands to help their neighbors. Dallas could well use more than tenfold of that impact across the city. ..and rarepair, don't forget the bulk bottle of ibuprofen.

• In October, 2007 I began working as a volunteer with the City of Dallas to start what has become the Lake Highlands Community Garden. I started hoping to find ten gardeners and with the help of the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Assoc., I had thirty gardeners within about two weeks. The city secured a grant from Scott's Miracle Gro (which has a fine line of organic products that we have used successfully)for the hard assets and organic products we needed to get started. The garden opened in April, 2008 with thirty-five plots. Thanks to another grant from Scott's we were able to add an additional 54 plots plus a 1,400 square foot donation garden this spring. Scott's has been a very generous partner in funding our garden and bringing community gardening to Dallas. Our garden has been supported by plot fees, donations from individuals and organizations. Last summer, I contacted my friends at Texas Discovery Gardens and asked them to provide the education component necessary for the long-term success of the garden. Melissa Martin, the Director of TDG, and Randy Johnson, Chief Horticulturalist responded by presenting five classes in organic gardening since November of last year under their Modern Victory Garden program. At about the same time I contacted the Texas Honeybee Guild about creating a bee habitat in our garden. I was at the garden tonight and Susan and Brandon Pollard were hard at work setting up the bees and our bee education area. We will also have some training classes provided by the members of the staff of the Trinity River Audubon Center and others probably this fall on raising city chickens. Our garden is going and growing and is a tremendous asset for the City of Dallas. But it has taken the efforts of everyone involved to make it successful. I personally "paid my dues" by volunteering for several years with Don Lambert's organization, Gardeners in Community Development. They have many community gardens around the city that have been successfully operating for years and in addition have donated tons of fresh produce to local food banks. Gardening in Texas is not easy due to the soil and the heat. If you take the time to study and learn by being a volunteer at a community garden, you can be a successful gardener. And someday, you can successfully start and operate a community garden in your neighborhood. It is like anything else, you have to have some sweat equity and feel the compost in your hands, reading a book won't get it done. Dallas is way behind the curve on community gardening, but hopefully the new grant money will help get the ball rolling. In November, 2007 I taught the Master Composter training class. From that class, I met Van Johnson and later Marianna Griggs who are both working very hard to get community gardens started in Oak Cliff. I am currently working Van and Marianna along with several other organizations as a consultant in starting community gardens in almost every area of the city. We are behind, but with some positive press we can catch-up quickly. There are a lot of dedicated people working to start community gardening in Dallas. Maybe the nay sayers should get a plot and see what it's like to grow your own tomatoes and squash, among all the other crops. It's good clean fun and you meet some very nice people in community gardening. Community gardens build communities, not just gardens!

• P.S. That very well may be a picture I took back in April '08!

• First, kudos to all the school gardens! I'm learning about more and more! As the plot holder of #8, also known as Pairadise, and one of the founders of the Lake Highlands Community Garden (translate blood, sweat, tears, torn ligaments, sore muscles, cuts, bruises, band-aids, dirt up my nose and other orifices, etc. etc.) from February aught eight until this moment that I type this and stink to high heaven from repairing a faucet housing in between harvesting some fine lettuce just this hot afternoon, I can tell you all first hand: It's hard, it takes time, it takes committed folks, it takes traversing all kinds of obstacles, to take a plane of asphalt and turn it into a living thing. We did it. Here we are over a year later - from 35 to 90 plots, new blood, sweat and tears. I know - I'm the one who documents it all. Stop bashing attempts. You do what you can do. If there's an entity out there that has money and wants to do more, grab the ring. If there are enough strong backs, grab the ring. If it's meant to be, it will be. There are ALWAYS going to be those who do and those who don't in any area of life. And if there's a neighborhood whining for a garden but don't do nuthin' community, then nuthin' community comes. That's o.k. too. Maybe someday. But don't put the kibosh on any attempt and any simple success. It's not tax dollars. And creating a garden, last I checked, doesn't take away anything from anyone and seems to be the universal cause celebre. Not to mention, but I sure will - we're hooked up with Family Gateway and are actually feeding ourselves and others. I'll buy more band-aids on sale - worth every penny.

• We have a garden at DeGolyer Elementary, which is funded by the School Dads. The Teachers Students and Parents have made it a great success. It does take a lot of cajoling to get the parents to help, but somehow there are always the few who help. Without the school however, I can assure you this North Dallas Community would not pitch in. I used to live across the street from the garden on Fitshugh and can tell you its success is due to the retired asian neighbors who brought this concept from Asia.

• He Kexin- what about people without the means to mow their yard or to pay someone else to do it for them? These are the communities that need community gardens the most. Without the local government "helping" (otherwise, doing it for them). The people with means to pay someone else to mow their own yards will either have a garden in their own'yards or just start a neighborhood garden with help from their neighbors. But, as Robert suggested, the whole concept of community garden just hasn't caught on here in Texas. And you can't make a community want to participate in TENDING a garden every day if they don't want to, just because the local government gets a grant to make it happen. That isn't the problem with a lack of community gardens in Dallas, the problem is a lack of community interest in community gardens. I hate to be so negative about something that sounds like it should be very positive, but what I am telling you is the reality. My non profit offers start-up help with community gardens to communities who want them and when I go to public meetings I make it very clear that community has to participate. I get a lot of "hurrahs" at the meetings, I pass my card, I follow-up with folks, but at the end of the day, there's just not enough demand for this particular product. And the City of Dallas can't create a demand by simply getting a grant. If communities think that the City of Dallas is going to also TEND to the garden, then it's not a community garden, but rather another government program.

• It's going to be pretty hard to get community gardens started in neighborhoods that don't have time to mow their own yards. I don't get people in the Summer paying to join a fitness center and paying someone to mow their grass. You could even kill 3 birds with one stone by getting a tan while you work in your yard.

• Last I heard, Stonewall's garden is still there. I think it may continue, just on a smaller scale. I'll have to ask around. cp, very frustrating about the community gardens. I've done volunteer work and seen the same thing happen with other projects. Everyone is enthusiastic at first, but once it's set up and the novelty wears off, it goes downhill fast. So frustrating. It's as if the idea of community help means having other folks come in and help the community--heaven forbid the community take advantage of the running start and infrastructure and help itself. Either that, or one person sort of takes charge, gets an inflated sense of ownership, and becomes so bossy and unpleasant, he/she runs off everyone else and then the project fails for lack of workers. Sigh.

• Stonewall Jackson Elementary had a "community" garden for the students at one time. Tom Spicer helped to sell some of their excess production. Did DISD allow the garden to continue or was that shut down with the teacher layoffs last fall?

• Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters has a non-profit that helps schools install community gardens. They paid for one at Kramer Elementary 6 years ago, and underwriting from Les Dames d'Escoffier (Dallas chapter) provided a community liaison gardening expert for two years. I haven't been by recently, but their school emails indicate people are still working and volunteering in the garden!

• CP, when I said "all the rage," I meant "in so many other cities." Not here.

• Community gardens only work when the COMMUNITY actually comes together in some form of organized semblance and actually takes "ownership" and does all the watering and tending. That means not a day should go by when there isn't someone out there pulling weeds, watering, etc. The ONLY support the local government should provide should be access to public property and maybe some help in getting started with materials for planter boxes and starter plants. After that, it's all up to the ommunity. Do we think Dallas can actually pull that off? If they are all such the rage, then why aren't there already more of them, like in so many other cities? I can count on one hand the number of community gardens we have in Dallas. In my experience working with a non profit that tries to help communities start community gardens is, the communities say they want a garden but have no understanding that THEY will have to be the ones actually caring for it. We have built two community gardens in South Dallas communities and each time they were essentially abandoned by the community. They think it's neat until they realize that they will have to work to make the vegetables grow.

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