And the
Community
Connecting the
Church
A Proposal for Area Churches
The Benefits of Community Gardens
Benefits for the Church Community
The social and economic
significance of community
gardening is gaining recognition
in West Michigan. Neighborhood
organizations, schools,
businesses, and other groups
currently operate about a dozen
community gardens in the Grand
Rapids area.
Creates community and partnership within the church by
allowing different age groups to work together
Brings life and beauty to the Church land
Provides opportunities for parishioners to work with their
hands and be outside
Brings in wholesome, fresh food to the church for things like
potlucks and food pantries
Provides a bridge between the Church and the neighborhood
giving opportunity for relationship formation and outreach
Benefits for the Surrounding Community
Shared work helps to build friendship and solidarity around a common
vision of the good
Allows people without adequate land to grow their own food
Helps create a more sustainable local food network
The natural beauty of the garden enhances the scenic quality of the
surrounding neighborhood
Provides a venue to teach area children about agriculture
Recent studies have shown that community gardens have psychological,
economical, sociological benefits for people
Bring about a sense of pride and ownership for one’s community and
the environment
For more benefits see: http://www.communitygarden.org/whatgood.php
Through this poster, we hope to
encourage area churches with
open land to consider starting a
garden for their members and
neighbors.
Starting a Community Garden
How to Get Started
1. Find out who is interested. Alert congregation members, but also contact your Neighborhood
Association to see if other community members are interested in starting a garden
2. Make sure that there is at least one community member, possibly a Church Staff member, who
can take charge of maintaining a committee of neighbors for the care of the garden.
3. Choose a site. Make sure the site gets at least 6 full hours of sunlight daily (for vegetables).
4. Test your soil for lead. Lead, found in some kinds of paints before 1978, can cause a serious
health risk to people. If lead is in the soil, leafy green plants will absorb it and ingesting these
plants can be harmful. Check out www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=3222 for
more information on Grand Rapids Programs.
5. Identify a water source! If there is no building on the site, negotiate with a neighbor to use
water from their house.
6. Consider how the garden should be organized, how many plots are needed and who should get
which plots.
Links
www.foodshed.com
- Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council
- Working to promote and coordinate community gardens in West Michigan
http://www.communitygarden.org
- American Community Gardening Association (ACGA)
- Numerous resources and tips for starting a community garden
7. Make a set of rules for those who want to have a plot in the garden. Ensure that all gardeners
are aware of the time-commitment to gardening and create a standard for neatness. By
establishing this before the garden is planted, problems can be avoided and/or dealt with
quickly and efficiently.
8. Consider a community compost heap. This is an excellent way for neighbors to reduce their
waste. Be very intentional about informing every community member about what can and
cannot be put in the compost.
9. Be aware that the first several years may not be as fruitful as expected – the soil will take a
while to develop into good nourishing soil.
10. Make a sign! Let your neighbors know about the garden!
11. Prepare the land and plant your food
12. The American Community Garden Association has an excellent fact sheet with ideas for
starting a community garden. http://www.communitygarden.org/starting.php
Examples of Existing Gardens
Construction Costs
A 50’X50’ garden will generally cost at least $1,000 to construct and prepare for the first growing
season. However, a garden can be prepared for only $200 and later gradually improved if it
proves successful. But the more money put into beautifying the garden, the more it will be
enjoyed; an unimproved plot of land will likely not draw participants and the garden will not be a
lasting success.
 Tool Shed
$400
(Tools can also be kept in storage room or a simple large bin.)
 Tools: shovels, rakes, hoes, spades, hoses, wheelbarrow, gloves
$300
(Alternatively, large tools for construction can be brought by church members, and smaller tools can be donated by members)
 Small fence to ward off vandals:
$200+
(If the neighborhood is involved, vandalism and theft will be minimal in most cases even without a fence.)
Heartside Peace Garden
Located at the intersection of Wealthy and
Commerce Ave.
Garden was created in 1996, focusing primarily
on the homeless in the neighboring areas
The vegetables grown by Richa, maintainer and
founder of the garden, are donated to Well
House homeless shelter
6-10 plots available for gardening each summer
Land and water provided by Catholic Secondary
Schools
Contact: richa@safe-mail.net
Webster Church Community Garden
Located in the heart of Webster Township, near Ann Arbor .
6 plot are available every summer
Designed for people with physical limitations
Church, community members & local boy scouts continue to build
and maintain the garden areas
Church provides land and water
Built on the property of Webster United Church of Christ
Grand Rapids’ Community Gardens
http://www.foodshed.net/committees/gardens.htm
 Raised beds: (lumber and soil)
$75+ each
 Bench, Path materials, Bulletin board
Cost Varies
 Soil test
Lab Test $100+
DIY Test $15
Operational Costs
Once the garden is well established and running efficiently, production of vegetables will be onetenth the wholesale price. The following costs can be redeemed by renting plots out to gardeners
for a season or possibly by selling some of the produce of the garden.
Water
$20 / month
Mulch; Fertilizers & Pest repellents; Seeds and young plants
1/10 wholesale