About Organizational sustainability

part 1: The Community Process

Page 23 of the C.G. Handbook.

When I went to the “How to start a community garden” course, they spoke of the community process, I learned about consensus – how to use that process instead of a majority vote. We also learned about using words wisely. When you are having a garden meeting and discussing one topic – and someone has an idea about something else – it is tempting to say “thats a good idea – but – we are not talking about that right now” the – but – slams a door in the persons face, so the better choice of words is “that is a good idea – however, can we put it into the parking lot, and save it for later” these seem like small issues, however, they make a big impact on the whole garden group.

The garden coordinator is the key to a good community garden – Page 24 of the C.G. Handbook. There are many printouts of various “job descriptions” from parent organizations that want to hire a “garden coordinator”. The main requirement for this role remains commitment and time, whether there is a salary or not.

This next part is from my own experience – organizing the gardeners – the first few years as the garden coordinator I had a little chart with some tasks that needed to be done around the garden and folks could volunteer ... however, I found myself “nagging” some of the gardeners to pitch in, and depending heavily on a few other gardeners to the point of annoying them ... at our garden meetings I kept bring up the point of committees, as the Community Garden Handbook and the C.G. Toolkit suggested, however, they never materialized. Eventually I spoke with the coordinator of a nearby garden, and her experience from her “day job” was – don t use the committee word!

So, now, we have a registration form that the gardeners fill out each year, and the teams that they can join – the expectation is that they join at least one team. I have a clear description of the tasks, and the Team captain can make a schedule that suits their group – so I have delegated the work and empowered these folks with the ability to exercise their own leadership skills. Page 33 of the C.G. Handbook. As well, it helps the gardeners to take ownership of their community garden.

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Part 2 – Building up the community group:

One point to watch out for - Garden committees that are too exclusive or elitist. I have talked to some garden coordinators, and the way they talk about their gardeners discourages me ... there seems to be a division between their little committee and the gardeners, almost a disrespect .. “oh they don't listen, ... they cant be bothered to come to meetings .. ..” just strange things that I hear, and then, at the end of the season the coordinator asks me for volunteers to help with the fall clean up that they plan to do themselves, with a sense that the gardeners wouldn't help ... so I wonder – could things be handled differently?

The point of joining a community garden, instead of going to an allotment garden – is the sense community ... and of being included ... yes, some of the gardeners will have poor English skills, low education, ... have come from broken homes, and it may be difficult, however, you need to look at their good points and their strengths, and make them feel welcome.

It seems as well, that this problem sometimes happens when there is a parent organization with a hired coordinator, they have not been part of the process of starting the community garden and don't know the gardeners personally .... it doesn't happen all the time, however, it is something to watch out for. I am sure that if they are asking for your help to strength their community garden, you will be able to help them with that. Something that might help is if you suggest that one of the long time gardeners volunteer to become the co-coordinator.

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There are more opportunities to build the community group up.

Garden meetings – scenario - Page 27 of the C.G. Handbook. The Steering Committee or the Communications Team gets together, issues have arisen and a decision has been made to have a garden meeting. You make the agenda and decide who will speak about what topics, and then you make an announcement to the gardeners about the meeting, asking them to look at the agenda and reply if they think anything else should be added, or if they wish to speak about some garden issue. ... At the meeting, have one person take attendance, and notes. The Chair Person will make sure that the meeting is kept on topic and on time.

Garden meetings however, can be “boring” but, it is an excuse to get the group together. So, make it inviting, have “potluck snacks” – or at least tea or coffee, or juice. Make sure that the children of families are welcome ... (if there are older children they may be able to watch or entertain the younger ones) when you start the meeting, circle around with introductions – like their name, what team they are on, or if they are a captain etc.

As well, every year there should be a group Spring Garden Start Up and a Fall Clean Up Day – we know that leaving dead plants provides winter habitat for many native insects, however, there are usually some places in the garden that should get fixed up for the winter. And an inventory of the tools should be taken and examined to see if any need replacing. I have found that this is an opportunity for gardeners that usually don't see each other, to meet.

Building up the community group is just as important as

building up the soil for a great community garden!

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