Community Gardening helps alleviate poverty by providing nutritious organic food to people of all income levels. It also offers an opportunity to obtain useful knowledge and skills that people can then teach others in the community.

Other Benefits of Community Gardening:

• It improves the environment’s air quality and reduces pollution. Community involvement also helps keep the area litter free.

• Participants become more self sufficient, take pride in their plants and get to know their neighbors.

• Communities save money on groceries while providing healthier food to their families. Produce can also be shared with other people who may need or want healthy food

• Community gardeners reduce waste by providing community composting activities and using recycled materials. Community gardeners are known for their skills at rigging up ponds out of bath tubs or sinks, fences and benches out of scrap wood and beautiful mosaic stepping stones out of old pottery.

• Community development is encouraged by attracting various cultures and providing opportunities to meet and work together on a common goal. International gardening methods and cultures are shared together contributing to a more peaceful neighborhood.

• Horticultural therapy alleviates stress, provides exercise and the opportunity for people to connect with nature. By offering a quiet place, a peaceful tranquil environment becomes available to an otherwise noisy busy environment.

• When offering an accessible garden, disabled and older people can also be included. Creating a garden with a raised bed can allow others to garden from a seated position. A raised bed could be put in asphalt, concrete or an otherwise unfriendly landscape. This not only makes it more accessible but beautifies and adds character and greenery to a former urban eye sore.

• New recipes and cooking methods are shared that might not have been otherwise known. Some vegetables are not grown commercially but are found in community gardens, so new and exciting flavor experiences are discovered.

• An herb garden can be included to enhance health with natural remedies as well as add flavor to otherwise bland meals.

• Economic benefits in the community include reduced crime and higher property values.

For information on how to start a community garden, see American Community Gardening Association’s website. “The Association recognizes that community gardening improves the quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.”

Tags: Gardening, General //