To date, we helped to foster the development of 2 community gardens (Kawana Community Organic Garden and South Park Community Garden) in Santa Rosa, and are currently researching and refining methods to create a self-governing and sustainable structure and educational component for this project. We will share our ideas and progress on this web page.

We will also be providing general information on community gardens, gardening tips and a forum for information and problems.

 Community gardens have existed for centuries in many parts of the world, often worked by families for many years and producing a rich patchwork of produce throughout the year. Community gardens are gaining in popularity in the U.S. as a means of providing fresh and healthy vegetables to urban families and garden space for those who otherwise might not have that opportunity. Besides the obvious benefits of exercise and being in the outdoors, such endeavors also help build community by neighbors working together and beside each other. Desolate weed patches strewn with garbage are beautified with flowers and care and nature's abundance quickly reasserts itself with a little encouragement. Neighborhood pride improves with the efforts in these former wastelands and kids have a positive outlet for their energies.

Starting a Community Garden

Information provided by the American Community Garden Association

This fact sheet is designed to give many different groups the basic information they need to get their gardening project off the ground. These lists are in no way meant to be complete. Each main idea will probably trigger more questions, so an assortment  of ways to carry out that idea are presented; pick and choose those that seem to apply to your own situation.

1. Form a Planning Committee
2. Choose a Site
3. Prepare and Develop the Site
4. Organize the Garden
5. Insurance
6. Setting up a New Gardening Organization
      Organizational Considerations | Bylaws
7. How to Manage Your Community Garden
      Sample Guidelines and Rules | Application Form
8. Troubleshooting
      Children's Plots | People, Problems and Solution Growing .  .     Community Through Gardening