| Most people who buy land from us already know | | | | intangible, such as how gardens provide a venue for |
| what they will do with their parcel. For some it is to | | | | intergenerational recreation and social interaction for |
| build their dream home for retirement, and others | | | | retirees. In-school and after-school gardening |
| simply plan to hold onto it solely for investment to | | | | programs give young people a productive, educational |
| resell down the road. Yet there are some people | | | | and confidence-building activity that can then turn into |
| who buy land because they would like to make a | | | | a lifelong skill by encouraging self reliance. The variety |
| difference and do something beneficial with it. In this | | | | of produce grown also can reflect the cultural identity |
| growing age of environmental awareness, many | | | | of the people who planted the garden. Some |
| people are wondering what they can do to give back | | | | community garden programs even donate the |
| to the Earth. One productive use of a small plot of | | | | produce they grow to local hunger agencies to help |
| land is to start a community garden, also known as | | | | feed the poor. |
| an urban garden in some cities. This blog is aimed at | | | | Here are links to a few resources for more |
| those of you interested in discovering the benefits of | | | | information on starting your own community garden: |
| transforming a vacant lot into a beautiful and | | | | Community Gardening - Wikipedia |
| bountiful garden that nourishes the community. | | | | How to Create an Urban Garden - Urban Gardening |
| Before we get into the details of the rewards of a | | | | Help - Gardening information and forum |
| community garden, did you know that today most of | | | | Urban Garden Casual - Blog on gardening for the |
| our food comes from over 1,250 miles away or | | | | urban dweller |
| more? In the U.S., the number of acres of land used | | | | American Community Gardening Association - National |
| to grow food is decreasing each year. There is now | | | | resource for help with starting urban gardens |
| much less financial incentive to become a farmer. | | | | The Neighborhood Gardens Association - The NGA is |
| Currently, only approximately 19 cents of every dollar | | | | a land trust that acquires the land on which |
| spent on food goes back to the farm, but that figure | | | | community gardens are developed |
| was more than double that amount back in 1975 at | | | | Here are several examples of community gardens |
| 40 cents per dollar. It is estimated that today only | | | | across the U.S.: |
| 1% of our population are farmers, compared to | | | | Spiral Gardens - Berkeley, California |
| about 90% at the turn of the century. Consequently, | | | | Urban Harvest - Houston, Texas |
| we are forced to import our produce from abroad. | | | | D.U.G. - Denver Urban Gardens- Denver, Colorado |
| This is not at all economical and one of the reasons | | | | Pikes Peak Urban Gardens - Denver, Colorado |
| why the cost of food fluctuates so much. If the | | | | Community Roots Farm - Boulder, Colorado |
| price of gas goes up, the price of transporting food | | | | Milwaukee Urban Gardens - Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| goes up, and we all pay for that increase at the | | | | Green Guerillas - New York, New York |
| grocery store check-out line. What's more is that | | | | Penn State Urban Gardening Program - Philadelphia, |
| these foreign sources may not be as reliable or even | | | | Pennsylvania |
| available at all to us in the coming future. | | | | Philadelphia Green - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| This brings us back to why community gardens are | | | | Durham Urban Garden Collaborative - Durham, North |
| so important. Smaller plots of land in urban areas | | | | Carolina |
| work very well since it gives people who don't have | | | | Brightside Community Gardens - Louisville, Kentucky |
| their own backyards the chance to grow their own | | | | City Farmer - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| vegetables. Community gardens can help people | | | | Communities in Philadelphia, for example, have |
| reclaim their neighborhoods, and can bring some much | | | | organized more gardens than any other city in the |
| needed greenery to an urban landscape, potentially | | | | nation. There are around 465 community vegetable |
| turning an trash-strewn eyesore of a vacant lot into | | | | gardens and over 1,000 flower gardens thriving in |
| a beautiful oasis that everyone passing by can enjoy. | | | | Philadelphia's neighborhoods. Of the 618 families |
| This not only provides a catalyst for neighborhood | | | | involved, they have produced over $1.5 million worth |
| and community development, but it also improves | | | | of food in the urban gardens. That is pretty amazing |
| the quality of life in the area. Fruits, vegetables and | | | | considering that these gardens were started out of |
| flowers not only beautify the land, but also improves | | | | virtually nothing - at least that's how the vacant lots |
| the quality of food available to those who grow it. | | | | were perceived before their transformation. Just |
| Since 1945, the use of chemical pesticides on food | | | | imagine what you could produce on a small plot of |
| grown worldwide has increased by ten times. Many | | | | land and do for the Earth and your family's |
| people want to eat pesticide-free food, but often | | | | health...now please take a moment to check out the |
| can't afford it from the store. Vegetable gardens | | | | land we have for sale. |
| produce fresh, organic, delicious and nutritious food | | | | ...And please remember that every little thing each of |
| which also helps reduce family food budgets. | | | | you does will help! |
| Some of the benefits of community gardens are | | | | |