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Community Gardens
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Community gardens, sometimes called "pea patches," can provide adequate sun, space, water and other resources to gardeners who may not have these elements where they live. They can also supply support, inspiration, and a shared experience to those who want to enrich their lives with community as well as fresh food. Sound Food is mapping community garden spaces around the area -- existing sites, potential sites, and tracking the discussions among those interested in expanding the places we grow food in our own towns, schools, parks, and neighborhoods. Catch up on our articles, then join the conversation by using the comment feature. And stay tuned to this page as this topic continues to grow and blossom throughout the growing season.
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"Public Produce" Takes Root at Bainbridge City Hall |
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Written by Carolyn Goodwin
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Tuesday, 18 May 2010 13:30 |
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Next time you have an errand at the Bainbridge Island City Hall, you might stop outside the front door and pick a few sprigs of purple basil and a ripe red tomato to take home for dinner. They’ll be free for the taking, thanks to an idea planted by a speaker at a recent Islandwood event.
Late last month, Trudi Inslee helped to organize an Islandwood appearance by author Darrin Nordahl, who spoke about his new book Public Produce: The New Urban Agriculture. In it, Nordahl explores the idea of using public spaces for urban agriculture.
Among those attending the presentation were Steve Morse, Associate Planner for the city, Sallie Maron of Sound Food, and local farmer Betsey Wittick, along with several of her summer farm interns. An idea took shape during a conversation between Morse and Maron after the meeting. What about growing vegetables at City Hall? There were several sunny gaps between the plantings that would be a perfect home for a few tomatoes, or some peppers.
They took the idea to Debbi Lester and Barry Peters of the Bainbridge City Council, who enlisted the support of City Manager Lee Walton and city “Wellness Committee” members Heather Beckmann and Kelly Dickson. Farmer Wittick offered expertise and volunteered her time and that of her interns to help with the planting. Brian MacWhorter of Butler Green Farm offered to donate tomato starts.
So on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend look for a crew made up of farmers, city staff and council members, and Sound Food volunteers to be hard at work filling City Hall’s planting beds with herbs, tomatoes, peppers and other edibles. All because of an idea that took root in the fertile connections of our Bainbridge Island community.
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Bainbridge Island Community Garden Map |
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Written by Admin
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Wednesday, 28 April 2010 13:37 |
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Community gardens and p-patches are growing food and fellowship all over the Island. From Johnson Farm to Rock Farm Community Garden and Manzanita Childrens’ Garden, Islanders are sowing seeds and dreaming of bountiful yields.
These gardens are a vital part of a more localized food system and we applaud the many Islanders who have opted to share some of their land with aspiring gardeners. If you’re interested in finding or sharing garden space, check out our updated Community Garden map.
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New Community Garden added to Sound Food's Community Garden Map |
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Written by Sallie Maron
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Monday, 22 June 2009 16:48 |
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Rock Farm Community Garden beckons gardeners to enter its tall gates while a 12-foot high deer fence announces that itinerant fo ur-footed nibblers are not welcome. The garden owners, Anita and Phil Rockefeller, have created a large community garden with sixteen 10’x50’ planting beds filled with sandy loam and fish compost ready and waiting for aspiring gardeners.
The new garden “presents an opportunity for people to get to know one another, to become more familiar with where food comes from and to understand our mutual interdependence,” Anita said. It's the newest addition to Sound Food's Community Garden Map.
One of the first gardeners to heed the call was Stewart Washington who brought a tray full of vegetab le starts last week. He quickly expanded from a 10’x10’ space to a 10’x20’ area as he began his planting. A former chef, Stewart knows how good freshly harvested food tastes, and he’s delighted to be part of this particular garden. The modest fee for the space is clearly a good investment in growing food and community.
This sunny field on NE Tolo Road has seen its share of agricultural activity over the years. It has produced strawberries and raspberries, as well as being cultivated as a pumpkin patch by the local Boy Scouts. Proceeds from the pumpkin patch were donated to Helpline House. The field is once again poised to aid Helpline's food bank. The Rockefellers are growing 50 tomato plants, with the expected crop of fresh tomatoes earmarked for the local social service organization. They also encourage those with garden plots to consider sharing their bounty. |
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New community gardens spring to life |
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Written by Cathy Nickum
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Thursday, 23 April 2009 10:52 |
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 Riding on the wings of a food/farm movement that is sweeping the country, organic gardens are popping up in backyards everywhere this spring, including the White House. Interest in sharing the experience through community gardening is also growing, as we saw in the large turnout at a Sustainable Bainbridge meeting on the topic in early March. With p-patches filled at Battle Point Park and Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, people have been talking about how and where to expand local community gardens, and in just two months, there has been considerable progress.
City-owned Johnson Farm, managed by the Trust for Working Landscapes, has opened up 14 new community garden plots and all were spoken for gardeners who attended the March meeting. The new garden space has been plowed and new beds are being constructed. Deer fence has been erected and last week, children planted Marshall strawberries, a variety which was once widely grown and well-loved on Bainbridge. Thanks to the energy and efforts of TWL members and other volunteers, the community garden at Johnson Farm looks like a prime location for participation, enhanced by the Harvest Fair celebration in the fall. Johnson Farm is just west of Fletcher Bay Road near the Island Center Road turnoff. If you're interested in future p-patches at Johnson Farm, contact Christy Carr at
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Community Garden Resources |
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Written by Admin
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Monday, 30 March 2009 19:10 |
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Organizations
SOUND FOOD,
soundfood.org
Sound Food is an initiative of Sustainable Bainbridge, and is dedicated to local food and farming on and around Bainbridge Island. For more information, ideas, comments, or questions to
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TRUST FOR WORKING LANDSCAPES
trustforworkinglandscapes.org
Working to Protect & Promote Bainbridge Island Farmlands
The Trust for Working Landscapes (TWL) is pleased to announce the availability of public garden plots (“p-patches”) at the Johnson Farm. For more info, contact
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PUGET SOUND RESTORATION FUND
www.restorationfund.org
As an organization, we are committed to a vision of a clean and healthy Sound that is productive, full of life and capable of sustaining us. Supporting local shell fish gardening.
SUSTAINABLE BAINBRIDGE
sustainablebainbridge.net
Network of local organizations, businesses, government and individuals to protect and strengthen our community’s social, environmental, and economic sustainability for current and future generations.
AMERICA’S GROW A ROW, americasgrowarow.org
PLANT A ROW • GROW A ROW, growarow.org
To encourage our communities to plant, grow and harvest an extra row of specific vegetables for local food banks and soup kitchens.
Please consider doing your own “grow a row” for Helpline!
MASTER GARDENERS FOUNDATION OF KITSAP CO.
kitsapgardens.org
Promoting long term environmental health through sound and sustainable horticultural practices
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