This week we’ve been talking about preventing hunger or food insecurity. For those of you just tuning in, we suggest checking out our first post of the week and building up to this one because here we’re going all in!
LET’S GO ALL IN:
Grow a Community Garden. If you’re really dedicated to helping those in your community suffering from food insecurity, then start a community garden to benefit everyone. There are two approaches you can take to this challenge — one is to gather a group of home gardeners and get their promise to ‘grow a row’. In other words, a number of people all add an extra row to their gardens and donate the produce they harvest to the local soup kitchen or pantry. You would want to be organized with your approach so that not everyone was growing radishes, but it’s a fairly independent way to make a big difference.
The other option is to build a true community garden. This would involve a larger network of people who wanted to help, as well as a location you have permission to use. But, the potential extends beyond just fresh veggies — think of hosting community events, youth activities, etc. We think these 10 steps outlined on CommunityGarden.org look like a great place to start with this project.
Tip: If you’re going to start a community garden, have a long term plan for it. Yes, getting it started will be the bulk of the work, but what happens two years from now, or three? Have a plan in place so that all of your good intentions carry on for years.
