Small Farms Research Center
Contact Information
The Small Farms Research Center at
Dr. Duncan M. Chembezi
Director & Professor
(256) 372-4970
Email: duncan.chembezi@aamu.edu
Alabama A & M University (AAMU)
was first
conceived in
2000 with
funding from USDA’s Office
of
Outreach authorized under section 2501
of the 1990 Farm Bill. The mission of
the center
Outreach
Community Garden
Ms. E’licia L. Chaverest
Assistant Director
(256) 372–4958
Email: elicia.chaverest@aamu.edu
and the Small Farmers
and Technical Assistance
Program is to
assist all small and
limited resources farmers effectively
dealing with agricultural
risk,
food
safety, and overall farm management
issues.
Mr. JaMarkus C. Crowell
Program Assistant
(256) 372-4424
Email: jamarkus.crowell@aamu.edu
Ms. Bhargavi K. Pucchakayala
Program Assistant
(256)372-4424
Email: bpucchak@bulldogs.aamu.edu
Learn more about us by visiting our
website and Facebook page provided
through the link below
Website:
http://www.aamu.edu/sfrc
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/smallfarmsre
searchcenter
Small Farms Research Center
Alabama A & M University
Normal, Alabama 35762
Community garden
According American Community Garden Association (ACGA) Community garden is defined as
“Any piece of land gardened by a group of
people”
Benefits of community garden:
Community garden possess several benefits like
providing access to land to whom that are not able
to produce their own fruits and vegetables.
School based community gardens provides hands
on experience on plants, composting, and nutrition
to the local youth group.
Demonstration garden are different gardens that
are grown with wide variety of plant species and
gardening techniques.
Challenges in community garden:
Theft and vandalism are the major concerns in
community garden. Both are different with different motivations.
Odor and rodents are also creates nuisances in the
community garden and it is very important to educate garden keepers about the composting pile.
Steps to start community garden
Forming a garden club: Identifying group of
people that are interested in gardening activities
Finding and selecting land for gardening:
contacting land owner to lease land for a specific
period of time.
Identifying funding opportunities strengthens
strong relationship among community partnerships. It is important to include donations with
regards to time, labor , material and equipment.
This type donations can be a way to reduce the
overall cost of a garden and also engage
supporters in the gardening those may not have
cash to contribute.
Planning the garden according to the interest and
taste of
community
members. Planning also
depends upon the future purpose of the garden. The
common purpose of community garden is to provide
space to grow food, to educate children about healthy
food, and to build community in the area.
Basic characteristics to select land for garden site:
Building garden on public or institutional allows long
term plan. Sometimes private property can be sold or
repurposed which may interrupt the plan and
gardeners may loose everything.
Land should be highly visible to the neighborhood
people to prevent vandalism and theft issues. Gardens
that are in back or out of sight from the general
public are not suggested.
Garden needs sufficient sunlight for at least six hours
per day. Shade from tall buildings and trees should be
prevented.
Once you find the land, it is advisable to have soil
test for fertility and presence of heavy metals.
Basics elements for the community garden.
Total land can be divided into several plots and each
plot is rented to each family for a specific period of
time.
A simple irrigation system with hand watering faucet
can provide water to the community garden.
Garden should be protected with fencing to avoid
vandalism and theft.
Temporary and protective shed is necessary to
protect tools and equipment.
Gardeners need bench or picnic table to sit and take
break during growing season
A sign with gardener’s name, sponsor name and
contact information is necessary to inform any
emergency.
Guidelines to maintain community garden :
Disease, pest & weed management: Each plot
should be clear of weeds, debris and trash. During
fall season it is better to turn compost and
organic material into the soil and cover it with a
layer of mulch to regulate soil temperature and
retain moisture throughout the winter.
Water management: Using water in efficient and
wise way will reduces water costs and weed
problem. Hand held watering is better than drip
irrigation.
Structure management: Vertical structures are
used to support vines and young branches during
growing season. This includes arbors, trellises,
tree branch frames and cages. Replacing these
structures for every season could increase garden
budget.
Storage: Community garden also requires off
season storages to store items like chairs, benches,
buckets, plastic containers, tools and list of things
that are needed for gardening purposes.