Community Garden Project

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Community Garden Project
Urban Green John Hay Environmental Club
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Why Are Community Gardens Important?

• Community gardens are a place where people can
  be active, productive, and grow fresh,
  nutritional foods.
• They create a better quality of life for everyone
  who has contact with one, either by walking past
  it on the street, or receiving nourishment from
  the food grown within it. 

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Why Are Community Gardens Important?

• Most produce in the grocery store has traveled,
  on average, 1500 miles from where it was grown.
• Local produce does not need to be shipped across
  the country. It is available CLOSE TO HOME!!
• Community gardens can save you money because by
  growing some of your own food, you can buy less
  at the store.
• Community gardens can help to fill the need of
  fresh produce for your neighborhood.

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Why Community Gardens?

• Fresh produce is good for you.
• When produce is harvested, it begins to lose its
  nutritional value.
• Not all types of fruits and vegetables ripen at
  the same time.
• Eating produce that is in season
  means eating fruits and vegetables when they are
  ready to harvest.
• Community gardens give urban residents the
  option of growing and eating their own food.

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Continued

• In a neighborhood or city, a community garden can
  be a place for people to bond and socialize,
  improving the health, spirit, and sense of
  belonging for all. 
• Involvement in a community garden promotes a
  feeling of responsibility for its well being, and
  helps establish pride among residents.

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Continued

• Involving children in food production helps
  prepare them for life. By working in a garden,
  they learn where many food products come from,
  the value of hard work and allows them to get
  dirty.
• Vegetable gardening makes good sense financially,
  lowering short term food costs by growing your
  own food as well as reducing long term health
  costs by being active in the garden.

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Composting

• Composting is a good way to build the soil.
• All plant material, and some animal material can
  be composted.
• 60 of landfill volume comes from
• Yard waste (ex. Grass clippings, leaves, sticks
  etc)
• Food waste (ex. Egg shells, vegetables)
• This is lots of stuff we can compost!!

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Composting

• Over time, bacteria in the compost break down the
  organic matter into rich, fertile soil.
• We have started a compost bin at Vels garden.

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Composting
Only certain items can go in the compost pile.
Avoid things like glass, meat and bone scraps,
and weeds.
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Lasagna or Sheet Mulching

• An effective and affordable way to build soil.
• Lay down layers of cardboard and other organic
  materials like lasagna in a place where you want
  to make a garden bed.

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Greenhouse Construction at the Garden
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Greenhouse Construction at the Garden
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Straw Bale Construction

• We built a greenhouse at the garden using the
  straw bale construction method.
• This results in well-insulated buildings because
  the walls are very thick.
• When constructed properly, straw bale
  construction is very durable and environmentally
  friendly.

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References

• http//www.urbanharvest.org/programs/cgardens/whyv
  aluable.html
• http//cuyahoga.osu.edu/topics/agriculture-and-nat
  ural-resources/urban-agriculture-program/community
  -gardening
• http//www.thegreentriangle.com/