Build Community with a Community Garden

One response to “Build Community with a Community Garden”

1. While it sounds like a good idea–really “touchy-feely,” I would never encourage this, based upon past experience as a manager. When the idea is floated, usually at at annual meeting in the winter, everybody is gung-ho. The discussions start concerning location, responsibility, etc., etc.–you know, the real “guts” of the project. There are logistical problems, such as how is the garden going to be watered. is there a spigot near-by? Who is going to do the watering? “We’ll take turns.” A schedule is drawn up, but, within a month, people have reneged, and the plants are already dying. What’s worse, people are arguing about whose fault it is, and they end up not speaking to each other. Far from instilling a “sense of community,” the attempts I have witnessed have ended in people at each other’s throats. I hate to be the one to put the kabosh on good ideas, but good ideas do not always translate into good practice, I’m sad to say. it is the nature of our society today to be as antagonistic as possible. So, when a community comes up with its latest and greatest attempt, I just stand back and let it play out. I don’t even say “I told you so” any more. The reality does leave me depressed and sad, however.