Community Gardens Grow In Whatcom County

Charlotte Wilson-Murphy is a senior at Western Washington University studying journalism and public relations. She has lived in Whatcom County since 2007. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

This fall, Drew Betz canned 18 pints of homemade salsa. The tomatoes came from her front yard where she also grows lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, herbs, beets, raspberries and more. As springtime is upon us, you may have noticed more urban gardening in your neighborhood. Betz is part of a national trend toward growing and eating food produced in one’s own neighborhood.

A community garden is basically a piece of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban, or rural. It can be one community plot, or can be many individual plots. It can be at a school, hospital, or in a neighborhood. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to “urban agriculture” where the produce is grown for a market.

Today, Whatcom County features 19 community gardens including gardens in Ferndale, Lynden, Sumas, Everson and Maple Falls and gardens funded by Community First! Gardens (CF!G) and even some owned by the city of Bellingham. In fact, the three community gardens owned by the city of Bellingham have waitlists, Betz said.

There are a variety of reasons why community gardens have seen resurgence in popularity, not just in Whatcom County but throughout the country. The community garden phenomenon has social, economic, nutritional, and environmental implications

Of the many benefits of community gardens, the nutrition and exercise aspects stand out above all. Not only do community gardens assist with local food security, but the act of gardening can be therapeutic and can relieve stress.

“Gardening is downright aerobic,” said Becky Curtis, coordinator with Community First! Gardens. Growing one’s own organic produce has also proven to be a more economical option than purchasing it. Betz said the gardens have really resonated with people and she sees the community garden concept expanding in the future to become even more popular.

The American Community Gardening Association Web site features two research reports that examine community gardens’ positive effects on property values and crime reduction.

A New York University study examined the effect of community gardens on nearby property values. The study of 636 NYC community gardens showed a statistically significant positive effect on sales prices of residential properties within a 1,000 foot radius of a community garden when compared to properties outside the 1,000 foot ring but still with in the same neighborhood. The net tax benefit over a 20-year period to the city is estimated at $647 million or $1 million per garden.

Gateway Greening of St. Louis, through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Blanton Whitmire, undertook a study to document the successes of Gateway Greening and community gardening. As a community development agency, they hoped to show that greening projects have positive effects on neighborhoods and their residents. Some of the positive effects noted are crime reduction both to property and people, increased property values and improvement of property, improvements in the overall appearance of the neighborhood, and increased feelings of safety.

Betz said the idea for Community First! Gardens, a project of the Washington State University Whatcom County Extension program, grew out of examining the current food system. Health and economic needs are driving people to garden in their neighborhood or at home, Betz said.

Curtis said she believes community gardens have gained popularity for ecological, food access, and hunger issues. She said frustration with the lack of access to quality food and getting back in touch with nature and one another have been driving forces.

“Food is normally grown to be good for transport, not for taste or nutrition,” Curtis said. Homegrown tomatoes have a softer skin and more water in them, which is not conducive to being shipped or packed onto a truck. But the flavor can’t be beat, she said.

The produce being grown locally means it doesn’t need to travel to get to our plates; it will be fresher and therefore have a higher nutritional content, Curtis said. And this is what the community garden movement is all about.

In addition to “making nutritious, locally grown food more available to more people” the program also strives to “[build] a sense of self reliance” and “provide an environment in which a strong sense of community can flourish,” according to the Community First! Gardens Web site.

CF!G is currently seeking partnerships with Whatcom County neighborhoods wishing to create new gardens or further develop existing ones. Partnerships begin with a meeting with Curtis, to review the goals of the Community First! Gardens Project and the group’s vision for their garden. At that meeting or at a follow-up meeting, needs are assessed, and a plan is created for achieving the long-term vision for the garden, and how being a part of the Community First! Gardens Project could help.

Possibilities could include consultations with WSU staff on garden design and building, square foot gardening, integrated pest management (IPM), and composting. After this process, garden groups would be eligible for financial assistance tied to purchases made through the WSU Whatcom County Extension office. The amount would be determined by the plan developed together.

Planning a community garden for 2010 should begin well in advance of the growing season.

“Fall and winter are the perfect time for planning, in order to be ready for the growing season,” Curtis said. Interested communities or neighborhoods should contact Becky Curtis, CF!G Coordinator, via email: community.firstgardens@wsu.edu.

WSU Whatcom County Extension also offers free educational seminars at individual garden sites- through the extension’s Master Gardener program- to help resolve issues at specific gardens. Topics include successive planting/harvesting, how to extend the growing season, using fertilizer, rain barrels, seed saving, composting, as well as canning and drying.

• WSU Whatcom County Extension: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/mastergardener

• Community First! Gardens: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/gardening/cfg

• Apply to do a community garden: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/gardening/cfg/apply.html

• Community Food Security Coalition: http://www.foodsecurity.org

• American Community Gardening Association: http://www.communitygarden.org

Article reprinted with permission from Whatcom Counts.org. WhatcomCounts.org is a one-stop source of information and engagement for residents of Whatcom County. This free resource is designed to connect you with the information you need to learn about your community and take action to bring about positive change.