February 16, 2021
Benefits of Community Gardening
by Jeffrey Douglas
Have you ever participated in a communitygardening project? If not, then it is time to seek one out or start aninitiative yourself.
Why? Because community gardening promises somany benefits to individuals, the community, and the Environment. Just onecommunity garden may be enough to strengthen ties within the community and evenreduce crime rates.
Community gardens give the neighborhood aprettier aesthetic and provide opportunities for people to learn from
With so many possible benefits, it is nosurprise that more neighborhoods are starting community garden initiatives.
What Is a Community Garden?
A community garden is a natural space whereneighbors come together to plant flowers, fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Theyare especially popular in urban areas where grocery stores may be few and farbetween, and opportunities to connect with nature are rare.
City dwellers don’t have much of anopportunity to try their hand at gardening. However, a vacant lot can be transformedinto a thriving green space where people gather to learn and grow at least someof their own food.
Even in suburban and rural areas, communitygardens are critical for bringing neighbors together to share meaningfulexperiences.
Community gardens may be established byorganizations such as:
- Churches
- Non-profit organizations
- Neighborhood associations
- Clubs
- Municipalities
- Community agencies
Even private landowners can participate whenthey donate all or at least a portion of their property to a communitygardening effort.
Garden members sometimes must pay to plant andwork on a plot of ground, but it also may be possible to participate simply byagreeing to tend a specific plot and donate so many hours to the garden eachyear. A clearly established setof bylaws can help detail who can participate and what the requirementsare.
Why Establish a Community Garden?
Community gardening is excellent for neighborhoods.It has benefits for people and the community at large.
Here’s a closer look at 7 of the major benefitsof community gardening.
1. Beautifying the Landscape
In many urban neighborhoods, there are vacantlots that have fallen into disuse. They may be filled with garbage,representing not only an eyesore but also a danger.
However, a community garden creates a green,living space where birds and beneficial insects congregate.
It does away with vacant lots, and theirpresence even may cause property values to increase.
2. Making Fresh Produce Accessible
Especially in urban neighborhoods, it can bechallenging to regularly obtain fresh produce without having to drive manymiles.
This means that people do not eat a healthyand nutritious diet because obtaining produce simply is too time-consuming andcostly.
However, when there is a community garden in aneighborhood, studies havedemonstrated that people consume more fresh fruits and vegetables.
This enables people to lead a healthierlifestyle.
3. Promoting Healthier Lifestyles
Because people have more ready access to freshfruits and vegetables, they have an opportunity to be healthier.
Community gardening also leads to healthierlifestyles because it encourages regular exercise. Being active in the outdoorsis a wonderful way to help avoid being sedentary, which is a major contributorto obesity.
4. Cleaning up the Environment
Plants naturally add oxygen to the air thatpeople breathe. At the same time, they contribute to cleaner air by removingair pollution.
Plants further absorb rainwater, which meansthat there is less runoff in the streets. This, in turn, means that fewerpollutants are washed into rivers, streams, and lakes.
Because community gardeners also may practicecomposting, they reduce their overall waste. This is because things liketree trimmings and leaves can be turned into powerful fertilizer.
5. Building Stronger Communities
Participating in a community garden providesneighbors with an opportunity to connect on a one-on-one basis.
People who might otherwise have been cooped upat home, leading a solitary life, are brought out into the community where theycan interact with others.
When people take a plot in a community garden,they foster a sense of ownership and begin to feel more personally invested intheir neighborhood.
Additionally, because more people are out inthe neighborhood, it may be possible to reduce crime rates. It is much easierfor crime to thrive when neighbors are shut up in apartments rather than beingoutdoors.
6. Opportunities for Learning
Educational opportunities abound in communitygardens. They are a wonderful place for people to interact with individuals whomay have different cultural, social, and religious backgrounds.
Moreover, working together in the garden maybe a great way to discuss environmental issues and how to live a healthierlife.
People may share the knowledge they havegained about growing bigger and better produce while also gaining knowledgeabout business principles and working as a team.
Community gardening is especially valuable forchildren who may know little about where food comes from and how it is grownbecause it gives them a chance to participate in the food supply chain.
Some people will find a mentor among theirfellow gardeners, and more than one will discover a lifelong friend.
7. Relieving Stress and Increasing Wellness
Modern life is stressful. Most people racefrom one activity or item on their to-do list to the next without reflecting onwhy they are doing what they are doing.
Gardening is an invitation to slow down,connect with nature, and foster relationships with like-minded individuals.
It creates an opportunity for people to thinkabout all of the other items on their to-do list and decide which ones arereally important and meaningful. The rest is just noise.
Accordingly, a community garden is a placethat helps people to relieve stress and increase their overall sense ofwellness.
Does Your Neighborhood Need a Community Garden?
Whether you are living in an urban landscapeor elsewhere, community gardening is an excellent opportunity to connect withnature and your neighbors.
Look for a chance to join a community garden.
If you can’t find a community garden in yourarea, then it may be time to use some of LACGC’s resources to helpyou begin to experience the benefits of community gardening.
Diana Campos
