Gardening With Soul: Build a Community of Love Teresa Watkins January 6, 2006 Community gardens reflect love and concern and can serve a variety of functions. Cooperative gardens can provide food resources for charities and urban dwellers a chance to farm. Community gardens can educate elementary and high school students that ‘vegetables do not come from plastic bags’ in the freezer section of grocery stores. Those who live in urban areas and zero-lot line developments receive a soul-satisfying experience even if there isn’t enough space to dig their fingers into a gardening project in their own yards. Native flowering community gardens can be enjoyed not only by humans; but can allow wildlife creatures to live in balance with man’s concrete and asphalt society. In major cities, across the United States, like Boston, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, volunteers, professionals, apartment dwellers, retirees, teenagers and children have combined their talents to establish community gardens where residents can raise their own food, experience nature, and enjoy a bucolic afternoon even in the city. According to an article published by Rutgers University, (FS264) public community gardens reduce neighborhood crime rates and provide a physical outlet so that urban dwellers lead less stressful, healthier lives. These community gardens contribute to society by providing a place for people to work toward a common goal. Grandparents working with neighborhood children, parents working alongside other parents, strangers getting to know one another by getting dirty together are all ways of sharing and displaying a love of community towards one another. Here are some tips to get your community garden started: 1. Determine if there is an interest and commitment among fellow neighbors. Remember that not everyone is going to be interested at first, allow for participation at different intervals and keep encouraging people to help. 2. Check with management offices, builder/developer or administration office for a possible site, i.e. the front entrance, the mailbox kiosk, sidewalk to a clubhouse or pavilion, future undeveloped areas, or school entrances. 3. Decide on a theme and develop an outline of project to present at a future homeowners board meeting. 4. Select leaders and designate teams if necessary. 5. Develop grant partnerships with as many organizations as you can by contacting city, county and regional agencies. 6. Set a reasonable time frame for completion and for future maintenance to allow everyone to participate. 7. Take before, during and after photographs. 8. Publicize your project through community newsletters, newspapers, and award contests. 9. Have a celebratory appreciation event to commemorate everyone’s hard efforts. Community gardens can have a beneficial effect on the beauty, spirit, resourcefulness, and environmental quality of your neighborhood. With the coming spring and summer seasons ahead of us, now is a good time to get one started in your community.

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Jeff Radel, CRS 'Make a Smart Move' House of Brokers Realty, Inc. 1515 Chapel Hill Rd. Columbia, MO 65203 Phone: 573-446-6529 Fax: 573-446-5408 jefrealtor@aol.com Website			Donna Adams, GRI, ABR 'Make A Smart Move!!!' House of Brokers Realty, Inc. 1515 Chapel Hill Rd. Columbia, MO 65203 Phone: 573-446-6530 Fax: 573-446-5408 dadams@houseofbrokers.com Website