Downtown Community Garden - Des Moines Iowa
Growing Together @ the corner of E 6th and Scott Street.
Potential solution for garden waiting list?
While I'm not sure how many members are on the waiting list, those that are, may want to look at another downtown garden, located in Sherman Hill. It sounds like they have plenty of room for more gardners. Here is their contact info http://edmundscommunitygarden.wordpress.com/garden-notes/
The coordinator for this year is Dawn, her contact information on the city page is not updated as of yet.
Maybe we will be able to do shared garden activities this Summer with the Edmunds community garden.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on -
I am meeting with Dawn from the Edmunds garden on Thursday at 5pm at RItual Cafe. All are invited to join to discuss community gardening.
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Permalink Reply by sagemom on
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I'm the new coordinator for the Edmund's Community Garden this year. Located near downtown Des Moines, in the Sherman Hill neighborhood. We reached full capacity last week. It was decided today that we are expanding our garden, breaking new ground to accommodate those in need of a garden plot of their own.
Please visit http://bit.ly/apC013 for application and more information.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Foster on -
why are we not breaking new ground as well?
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Permalink Reply by Drew Matthew Maifeld on -
Stephen, here's a quick answer before I head offline. The limits or the current garden were set with two major things in mind...
1. Shade from the cottonwood trees. 2. Allowing ample green open space to exist so that the park could still serve some function as a park and not just for growing produce. (The space is still listed on the city website as Allen Park)
Last year people did use the space to have a few family picnics, throw balls etc. The space gives some breathing room to the garden.
There is some space I can think of that we could expand to. However most of it may be better suited for community areas rather than individual plots. Lets get that discussion on a new thread though :)
Stephen Foster said:why are we not breaking new ground as well?
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Foster on
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how many people are on the waiting list for our gardan?
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Permalink Reply by John McMahon on
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This "was discouraged based upon the stakeholder input that created the design of the garden"? I was at both garden design meetings last year. Does this make me one of the stakeholders? If not, who are these people? In any case, my opinion is that we should not have a waiting list so long as there is obvious space available. I think it is utterly selfish of those of us who were lucky enough to get a plot to now close the door on everyone else. If the city is agreeable I suggest that additional plots be allocated on the available green space.
Christine L. Pardee said:This idea was run by the city (Teva) and was discouraged based upon the stakeholder input that created the design of the garden to begin with. This is a topic that's going to be brought up for the garden collective to consider other creative solutions to increase accessibility to gardening as an experience.
Stephen Foster said:why are we not breaking new ground as well?
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Permalink Reply by Drew Matthew Maifeld on
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I'll add one more thought to the mix regarding the big picture topic of this discussion. "Waiting List"
I interpret "waiting list" generally to mean that there is a demand or desire from the public to have more gardening space available to them... (Be it at this garden or another.)
So I'll add my feelings that a solution needn't lie solely with the downtown garden to maximize 100% of available area for the plot expansion. But for plot expansions to happen in other areas through out the city. There are many people working to start new gardens around the Metro Area. Some of those efforts are trying to be coordinated at this location - - http://urbanfooddsm.ning.com/group/communitygardencoalition
Ps, John - I'm with you 100% on not shutting the door on newcomers! We can always invite them to help manage the communal areas and hope that they are able to find a more personal spot in good time if they are looking for one.
As for maximizing the space we have dedicated to individual plots at the downtown garden - I'm in full support of adding whatever we can. I hope that whatever the group decides we can do it without sacrificing some of the other great assets like open space.
John McMahon said:This "was discouraged based upon the stakeholder input that created the design of the garden"? I was at both garden design meetings last year. Does this make me one of the stakeholders? If not, who are these people? In any case, my opinion is that we should not have a waiting list so long as there is obvious space available. I think it is utterly selfish of those of us who were lucky enough to get a plot to now close the door on everyone else. If the city is agreeable I suggest that additional plots be allocated on the available green space.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Foster on
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I personaly think that one person should not have three to four plots.
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I want to recognize Sandy for being an integral link in our garden community. I'm inspired. I get inspired when people say, " ... to share gardening ideas and ways to strengthen the community gardens as a whole." I've read this sentence more than a dozen times. I see a person who can lead. I see a person who cares that the families who need a garden plot get one this year.
I get inspired when people like Emily offer their garden tiller for others to use. I get inspired when Drew points the way to an organization like the Des Moines Izaak Walton League who can help till the Edmund's Community Garden. With no budget or resources to draw on at the eleventh hour of being ushered into coordinating a community garden.
The families this garden serves speaks four different languages. Sandy's husband helped solve that one right away. I could not be more grateful.
All of these people came through, they offered advice and suggestion. They made it possible for fifty families in our community to have a garden plot. To grow food that is organic, whole and nutritious. Low income families, refuges from other countries, and senior citizens have all benefited from the inspirations and answers here.
It's people like Sandy and each of you who have a vision, who care ... it's people like you who make a difference in the world.
Thank you for being.
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Permalink Reply by Drew Matthew Maifeld on
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Thanks Dawn!
These comments are a welcome alternative to some of the badgering and bullying that some people use to try and get their way.
You will be a great community garden coordinator!
sagemom said:I want to recognize Sandy for being an integral link in our garden community. I'm inspired. I get inspired when people say, " ... to share gardening ideas and ways to strengthen the community gardens as a whole." I've read this sentence more than a dozen times. I see a person who can lead. I see a person who cares that the families who need a garden plot get one this year.
I get inspired when people like Emily offer their garden tiller for others to use. I get inspired when Drew points the way to an organization like the Des Moines Izaak Walton League who can help till the Edmund's Community Garden. With no budget or resources to draw on at the eleventh hour of being ushered into coordinating a community garden.
The families this garden serves speaks four different languages. Sandy's husband helped solve that one right away. I could not be more grateful.
All of these people came through, they offered advice and suggestion. They made it possible for fifty families in our community to have a garden plot. To grow food that is organic, whole and nutritious. Low income families, refuges from other countries, and senior citizens have all benefited from the inspirations and answers here.
It's people like Sandy and each of you who have a vision, who care ... it's people like you who make a difference in the world.
Thank you for being.
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Permalink Reply by Peter Michael Sherinian on -
To respond to some of the ? and problems brought up. We still do not have an answere to the ? of how many plots are available this year. We wont know that untill everyone who wants to sign up again this year does so. Once we know that then we can figure out how many plots we have available and how many we can provide those on a waiting list if there are people waiting.I am sure there are but we still need to know how many. If there are not any, then this ? is mute. As for the use of the park for the function as a garden I believe the city parks dept. has the final say as to how much we can use as a garden not the gardners. We submitted a plan and they approved it if we want to change it I assume we have to submit a new plan that they would approve or not. As for the garden labyrinth it is ready to be planted for any one who wants to plant small flowers and herbs. That was its original intent I would also like to see some miniture vegatable plants in there as well. I think that would add nicely to the labyrinth. I think we also have come to the conclusion that we should not grow mint in the Labyrinth because of the problems with it. I also would recommend not growing any cilantro. We did that last year and it made everything else we grew taste like cilantro. The original reason we decided to have the Labyrinth was for the purpose of growing herbs and flowers that anyone could come and pick and take home even if they did not have a plot at the garden. It was to be open to the puplic. I still think that is a good and generous idea. The other idea behind it was to create an interesting place with the layout of the bricks and to maintain a sense of what was originally there IE the wading pool.
I also think we need to remember that this is not just a garden its also a park. I am as interested as anyone in providing space for the growing of vegatables. But I am also interested in maintaining a sense to the park as a park and a place were people can come and enjoy it for that reason as well, and not be selfish and only see it as a place for the gardens.
There has also been a point made that this is the only place were some people can come and garden because of the lack of space at other gardens IE the Franklin garden and others. I have heard some bad things in regards to the management of the Franklin garden. I dont know if these facts are true, but if so then they need to do something themselves to solve those problems or the city should do something.
The other thing that you people may not be aware of is the fact that there are over 2,000 empty lots in the city of Des Moines. I wonder how many of those lots the parks dept could set up for gardening?
The other intersting fact is that the city of Des Moines owns 25% of the land that makes up the area of Des Moines. That is a huge amount of land and I am sure that enough of that land could be set up to provide an acre or more for every person who wanted to have there own acre of land to grow food on in this city.
Instead of "COMPLAINING" that we don't have enough space for eveyone. We should look to the city and ask the ? what are you the city and Mayor doing to rectify the fact that the city has all this unused land, that could be used to help those in need of food, and those who want to garden.
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Permalink Reply by Sandy on
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Randy, I think the corn patch area would be a fabulous & easy way to expand plots.
I agree that the city looking at more community garden options is much needed (and it sounds like they are.) With the resurgence of gardening more land will need to be devoted to keep up with the demand.
Randy Skeie said:I agree with John. Here's an idea to create additional space without breaking new ground since the city wants to keep the green space to the North, which isn't all that desirable for vegetable gardening anyway...and that is to divide some or all of the current community space (corn patch, labyrinth area) into individual plots. This will allow others to join the community rather than allowing those of us who are already privileged enough to have a plot(s) the opportunity to grow even more in areas outside of our individual space. Besides, most of the corn was picked by someone who has multiple plots (or so I've been told)...so I say let them grow their own corn in their own space and open the door to more gardeners!
John McMahon said:This "was discouraged based upon the stakeholder input that created the design of the garden"? I was at both garden design meetings last year. Does this make me one of the stakeholders? If not, who are these people? In any case, my opinion is that we should not have a waiting list so long as there is obvious space available. I think it is utterly selfish of those of us who were lucky enough to get a plot to now close the door on everyone else. If the city is agreeable I suggest that additional plots be allocated on the available green space.
Christine L. Pardee said:This idea was run by the city (Teva) and was discouraged based upon the stakeholder input that created the design of the garden to begin with. This is a topic that's going to be brought up for the garden collective to consider other creative solutions to increase accessibility to gardening as an experience.
Stephen Foster said:why are we not breaking new ground as well?
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