Overview of Sections
There are many important factors that go into creating a successful community garden. Many of these things are obtainable in any garden while some are much more specific to CMNMG. In this section, recruitment, community, project selection, events, and garden bed distribution will all be addressed. It is important when starting a community garden to adapt each of these practices to best fit the community being served and the available resources.

Recruitment
The most important part of any community garden is the people who are involved in it. Getting a strong team that is interested in the garden and its mission is crucial. If you are establishing a community garden in your own community, you likely know a lot of the people living there. You can talk to them, ask them what they would be interested in seeing, and explain the potential benefits of a garden. Having these conversations before you first break ground is very important. Open communication will create meaningful relationships between the garden and the community it aims to serve. If you are attempting to create a garden in a community that you are not a part of you should first talk to community members to see if they would be interested in having a community garden at all. Any big decisions should be talked through with community stakeholders to ensure that what you are doing is truly filling a need in the community.

Looking for partners outside of the community can be beneficial as well. Student organizations and clubs at both the high school and college level might be interested in completing projects in your garden. Often they need to volunteer as some sort of class requirement so volunteering at a local community garden would help both the volunteer and the garden. At the CMNMG some volunteers get involved through student organizations and classes while other volunteers are just interested in the work being done there. Being clear about the purpose of the garden and what work you need volunteers to do will greatly increase volunteering rates.

Bed Distribution Systems
There are a couple main ways to distribute beds in a community garden. Some programs are a buy-in system where yearly fees allow community members to have their own rented bed. Others include a similar system that is free and funded by donations and grants. The CMNMG uses a unique system where beds are not owned or rented by individuals. Instead, everybody works together on all of the beds and gets a little of all of the produce harvested. This creates less pressure on individuals who are unable to be at the garden every week or have little experience growing their own food. This system was chosen to encourage collaboration and also shift the focus from production to education. The best way to pick a system is to decide the mission of the garden and ask community members which system they would be willing to participate in.

Events
The CMNMG has a couple different events that it participated in every year. There is a week long children’s science camp in the summer, as well as a smaller weekend one in the spring. There is also a weekly farmers market at the garden where a local gro-op donates their food to be sold for a dollar a pound. In the past, the CMNMG has hosted events with guest speakers who discussed different kinds of community gardens and the importance of food justice. Thinking of even small events that can be held at your community garden will encourage new people to show up and get involved and will provide fun experiences for those already involved.

What do Individuals Gain from This Experience?
There are a lot of benefits of community gardens. People are spending more time outside, learning about growing their own food, have a greater understanding of agriculture in general, meet a wide variety of people, and have a reliable community gathering space. When volunteers at the CMNMG were asked what they gained from coming to the garden, the number one response was: the people. They all responded that they had made friends, created connections, learned a lot from each other, and found a safe place with open and honest communication. People also mentioned gaining a sense of peace from spending time in the garden. The garden’s founder, Paula, began the garden as a form of free grief therapy. While it has gone on to be more than this, it is an important aspect of the garden today.

When asked what moments stood out to individuals during their time in the garden, many people talked about the interactions they had with others. Paula says of her involvement in the garden, “It really hasn’t been a moment, it’s been a spiritual movement of social justice, food justice and the creation of Beloved community.” Brian, a former student at OSU, mentioned a powerful moment he remembered from his time in the garden. “‘There are no limitations. There are things you don’t know, but that does not mean there are limitations.’ Paula casually dropped this line during one of our talks. Other people may not remember it, and Paula may not remember me, but I will never forget this quote. I don’t know why, but this line just stuck out to me and I have never forgotten it. It has served as a reminder that we must continually challenge the status quo and push our own self-imposed limits.” The time that people spend at the garden impacts them in meaningful ways that they remember for years to come.

Community Gardening Resources
Ron Finley Website: https://ronfinley.com/
American Community Gardening Association: https://www.communitygarden.org/
Shiloh Community Garden: https://www.shilohfield.com/
DeKalb Community Gardens: https://www.dekalbgardens.org/
Columbus Resources: https://www.columbus.gov/landredevelopment/communitygardens/