Going Green With Community Gardening

Community gardens are a beneficial method to go green during the recession because it saves money, brings the community together, and teaches people to be self-reliant. Tricycle Gardens in Richmond is the organization to start with.

By Santia Nance

Community gardens provide a way to beautify neighborhoods, eat healthier, and learn ‘green’ habits all at the same time.

“It’s like the epitome of going green,” said Lisa Taranto, the director of Richmond’s own Tricycle Gardens, a non-profit community garden organization based out of theChurch Hill neighborhood in downtown Richmond.

It was started in 2001 by a group of neighbors and friends, who turned a vacant lot into a beautiful garden that grows fresh food, herbs and flowers.

Through grants and donations, Tricycle Gardens has managed to get four gardens up and running, and there is an additional garden that will get planted this summer.

“It takes about a year of organizing, finding a location, and deciding what’s going to go in the garden,” Taranto said.

Rebecca Spivey, the head of Carver community garden on the corner of Leigh and Kinney streets, said that maintaining the garden isn’t too hard.

“Everyone tends to their own plot as they please, but there are about three to four days out of the year where everyone in the community comes out and does everything such as weeding the garden,” Spivey said.

She also explained that there are guidelines to being a plot owner.

“The plot has to be plated by May 1, the plot owner has to help on work days, you can’t give your plot away, you can’t have pets in the garden, etc.,” Spivey said.

“There is also a $40 leasing fee which includes the cost of water and maintenance on the plot,” she said.

Not only are people in the community gaining knowledge in planting and maintaining gardens, they’re learning self sufficiency and that growing their own food is a skill everyone should know.

“Growing your own is like gaining back power from the big… corporate world,” said Taranto.

Tricycle Gardens even offers to teach people how to start gardens at their homes.

“I visit peoples homes and help them with their gardens one on one. We also have group classes at Tricycle Gardens on many aspects of organic gardening that accommodate up to 25 people, ” said Nellie Appleby, the kitchen gardener of the organization.

There are other reasons to start to grow thier own besides self-sufficiency. In fact, it will impact the world. Taranto said people should see a change in the environment in five years.

“The wake-up call is coming sooner than we think,” Taranto said.

“Food pricing is already going up... California droughts -- and they produce a lot of our food, food bourn illness… The food system is extremely in jeopardy,” Taranto said.

Which is why she says it is extremely important to start growing food and doing it in your community makes it better for everyone.

“It’s important to grow your own food to know where it’s coming from, that it’s grown in a healthy manner, to get more nutritious vegetables than you can buy, to save money not buying them, to connect to nature via gardening, for the exercise, meditation, beauty and pleasure of it,” said Appleby.

Community gardens allow people to come together and share both their ideas and food.

“It’s healthy for the body, neighborhood, and the community, and the city, the country and the world and counting,” Taranto said.