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Gardening the Community Archive

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Gardening the Community is a project of NOFA/Massachusetts. Currently the project strives to help youth understand the importance of healthy locally grown food, environmental justice, and community empowerment, as well as gain first time job experience, and leadership training, in a safe, supporting, and fun atmosphere.

• Mount Holyoke College and Springfield Collaborate on Garden Project
• Gardening the Community secures land in Springfield
• Garden Land Crisis 2005
• Youth protest sale of garden site
• City Garden Project Takes on the Big Players
• Gardening the Community Pictures
• 2004 After School Programs
• More Garden Pictures
• 2003 Our Year In The Garden
• Youth Reflections
• Project Contact Information

Gardening the Community secures land in Springfield

Thank you for your overwhelming support during GTC's land crisis that started last fall and has lasted until just this past week!

A private business owner, Jack Mitchell of Mitchell Machine (a business that has existed in the Mitchell family for three generations in Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood of Springfield) has agreed to let us use a parcel of land (approximately 10,000 square feet) adjacent to his building. He says, "Let's try it, I want to help out." The potential is great - he owns at least another acre and a half all around the building, full sun, hardly landscaped.

Ruby Maddox (GTC's director for 4 years) brought a group from Mt Holyoke to begin prepping the land. Kids from the street (which on one block hosts 4 abandoned homes) flocked to see what was going on. "It will take a lot of work to put a garden here," Darien, 9 years old, said. But she stuck around to see it happen. Three truckloads of compost and soil were delivered yesterday, and today we are beginning to put together the beds.

To read more, check out the front page article on the NOFA January/February newsletter. If you are interested in learning more about the struggle for land, read the articles below

Springfield Puts Second Youth Garden on the Auction Block:
“Gardening the Community” Land Crisis Update

• The first lot, 488 Central Street, has been gardened by the youth and program since 2002 and is ¼ acre. It went up for sale by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority on September 16, 2005. “Gardening the Community” submitted a proposal on November 16, 2005 to be the chosen developers of this land and to ensure that it stays in green space dedicated to youth, the community and food production for the neighborhood. The City will be informing us between December 26 – January 4 as to whether the committee chose our proposal for the site. 
• The second lot, 326 Central Street, has been part of the program since 2004 and is a ½ acre. Previous to our use of the lot, the area was a community garden for eight years. Presently the land is adjacent to a currently used community garden space. The two garden areas together equal nearly an acre of farmland. On November 16, 2005, the City put 326 Central Street up for sale. We are presently working on our proposal to the City for this site. It is a desirable development site because of its size and its proximity to other vacant lots. We know that our quest for this land is even more competitive than for the last. Our proposal for 326 Central will be submitted on January 11, 2006. We will not hear from the City about its status until early March 2006.

If you are interested in contributing ideas, time, or funds to this effort -
Contact “Gardening the Community” Project Coordinator,
Ippy Amatul-Wadud at gtc@nofamass.org or at 413-782-2136.

Youth protest sale of garden site

The Republican(Springfield, MA)
October 28, 2005
DANIELLE PAINE STAFF The Republican (Springfield, MA) dpaine@repub.com

4 years of cultivation and an estimated $60,000 in grant money have been invested in the garden, explained the program director.

SPRINGFIELD - Sixteen-year-old Iptihag Amatul-Wadud doesn't understand why the city needs to sell off a quarter-acre lot in the Maple High-Six Corners neighborhood to build a single-family home.

It's where she and a dozen other young people have been toiling each summer for the past four years, tilling the land to grow vegetables, earning money and creating green space from what was an eyesore in the midst of their sometimes troubled neighborhood.

"It's just crazy. There are so many other lots that the city has," said Amatul-Wadud yesterday during a protest that's pitting young people and community organizers against the city and its Economic Development Department.

The children gathered vegetables, left over from this year's harvest, while their parents and dozens of supporters stood with signs outside of the youth garden project of the Gardening the Community program at 488 Central St.

The protest came as Luis Colon, a project manager for the city's Economic Development Department, arrived to survey the lot with potential buyers.

Developers have until Nov. 16 to submit proposals for the property, detailing their plans to build a single-family home there. The proposals will then be reviewed by a committee, and it will be up to Mayor Charles V. Ryan to choose a developer to receive the land.

Once filled with illegally dumped trash and furniture, the site has become a green space for youth and an ally of area soup kitchens that receive most of the harvest as donations. Four years of cultivation and an estimated $60,000 in grant money have been invested in the garden, said director Kristin Brennan.

"When we took this over, we changed the look of the neighborhood, and now they want to take it away from us," said Jalilah Amatul-Wadud, the mother of three young people involved in the program, including Iptihag.

Although the 10,392-square-foot lot, wedged between a shopping plaza and a commercial building near the corner of Central and Rifle streets, is owned by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, organizers of the nonprofit gardening program said they have received yearly permission from the Maple High-Six Corners Neighborhood Council to occupy the space since 2002.

Ryan could not be reached for comment, but an aide, Michelle Webber, said the mayor is aware of the situation. She declined further comment.

Brennan is submitting a proposal on behalf of the program to buy and maintain it as a green space, a concept that she believes would be the ideal outcome. Besides Brennan, only Thomas Rossmassler, the project manager for HAP Inc., a regional housing partnership, toured the land as a potential bidder. The request for proposals sets the land's fair market value at $7,500.

Katie L. Stebbins, deputy director of the Economic Development Department, said her department has a responsibility to sell the land and put it back on the tax rolls as it has been doing aggressively with lots across the city. Stebbins, who referred to herself as an advocate for community gardens, said that once a proposal is accepted, she will meet with the garden program "to discuss other opportunities."

"Buildable lots in the city are at a premium," Stebbins said. "But there are a lot of lots that are isolated slivers of land that cannot accommodate a structure and would be ideal for a garden." Brennan said the garden should remain where it is because of the immense effort it took to establish it and its safe location on a main route for school buses, which is also visible enough to make a positive impact on neighborhood residents.

Moving the garden and its roadside vegetable stand could also affect the group's sales that now total more than $400 and guarantee the youth a small stipend for their work. She is encouraging neighborhood residents to contact the mayor with their own reasons to save the garden.

"This is not just another vacant lot going up for sale. This is part of the community," said Jonathan Bates, project adviser for the Gardening the Community program.

Gardening the Community is a youth agriculture program of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. It also maintains a garden in the vacant lot at 326 Central St. Brennan said she fears that property will also be sold by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority in the near future.

City Garden Project Takes on the Big Players
by Jonathan von Ranson

[From Dec.-Jan. 2005-06 NOFA/Mass News]
The City of Springfield wasn’t thinking when it quietly, without notice to its tenants of nearly four years, put the lot at 488 Central St. up for sale. That act forced Gardening the Community—the NOFA/Mass youth gardening project in Springfield—directly into the realm of city politics in October and early November to try to save its garden site from being sold to developers. Immediately upon learning of the request for proposals (RFP) by the city redevelopment authority—about three weeks late—Kristin Brennan, our new GtC coordinator, and a group of concerned residents mobilized a Brahms symphony of a campaign. Using both publicity and persuasion, pressure and finesse, they met with city officials, land trust people and attorneys. They got 100 signatures on a petition by neighborhood residents, solicited letters of support from local businesses, social action groups, the NOFA Land Care folks and the NOFA board and mobilized broad press coverage…all while making the garden program’s own submission to the RFP process.

That application was handed in Nov. 16. It bid the token sum of $1 for the deed to the lot, since money wasn’t what the community garden project had to offer. “Instead,” said Kristin, “our proposal argues that the social and economic value of the [Gardening the Community] program is worth more to the City than the dollar value of the land for a single-family home.”

Springfield Mayor Charles V. Ryan, who was running during much of this time for reelection, and who not long ago took over a relatively disorganized and corrupt government, refused requests by the youths to meet with them. In fairness though, commented Kristin, “He has responded to each communication we’ve made.” She senses “an urge for integrity in the RFP process,” which forced the apples-and-oranges comparisons the redevelopment authority may have to make between a proposal for a single-family home sandwiched between two slightly decrepit industrial buildings…and the community garden. “My greatest hope is that we will be the only proposal for that site,” Kristin said. “A non-profit housing group has withdrawn its bid in response to our desire for the lot.”

The lot is owned by the city redevelopment authority, but Gardening the Community has received yearly permission from the Maple High-Six Corners Neighborhood Council to occupy the space since 2002. This group is split in its support for the garden versus new housing. One explanation is about appearances. Until now, the garden program hasn’t focused on aesthetics so much as experience for teenagers.

The NOFA/Gardening the Community proposal is basically to protect the lot as green space. It promises certain aesthetic improvements like attractive fencing and a sign explaining the garden. “This puts a bit more pressure on our fundraising,” said Kristin. “Since we have been focusing on this organizing, we are now in need of getting back to building our budget for the year.”

Even if the proposal falls through, Kristin says the fight has given her program visibility, and leverage with the City. She is confident another lot would be found for the program.

Gardening the Community Pictures

City Garden Program Offering After-School Programs
Ruby S. Maddox
Social Justice Coordinator

The Gardening the Community (GtC) project has been working with local community-based after-school programs to provide a community youth workshop series. During the month of March students at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and the New North Citizen's council after school program will meet weekly to discuss topics such as organic growing methods, health/nutrition, local food systems, hunger awareness, community food security and urban agriculture. Students learn about where their food comes from, how that food is being grown, and how they can play a role in that food system.

Gardening the Community is also working with ARISE and the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council to form a growers club within the area. The growers club will hold workshops on practical growing skills, food preservation, market and garden planning, cooking and more (depending on community needs or expertise of trainers). GtC is looking for individuals willing to volunteer to conduct a workshop in any of these areas. Participants will work with neighboring backyard gardeners and those interested in gardening to promote urban agriculture, expose the community to more locally grown food and work with a partner farmers market in downtown Springfield.

This farmer's market is located on Main St. across from Tower Square in the center of town. The market is set up every Friday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. from May to September. Space, marketing and promotion are free. Diversity of products such as food and crafts are requested. NOFA/Mass vendors interested in participating should contact Ruby at (413) 781-6967 or rrmaddox@hotmail.com.

GtC continues to raise in-kind and monetary donations for its summer program and is working to create a youth and agriculture roundtable at the NOFA/summer conference this year, inviting all youth and agriculture programs from all over the region to meet and discuss issues relating to gardening/farming with youth.

More Gardening the Community Pictures

Our Year in the Garden
By Ruby Maddox
Gardening the Community
Community Coordinator
Springfield, MA

2003 has been an incredible and exciting year. Gardening the Community (GC) was blessed with the support of sponsor's like NOFA/Mass, and Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council of Springfield, MA, and the financial support of The Open Field Foundation, The Western Mass. Community Foundation, and the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund.

Gardening the Community has truly begun to reach out to the community and build roots. GC was recognized by the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council with a Community Service Award, for working to help improve the community. All 12 GC students were also individually recognized for their efforts in completing the program. GC students worked for 12 weeks this past summer, growing food in a garden at 488 Central St., Springfield, which was started in 2002 by GC youth. As part of the program GC students visited area farms, including the Food Bank Farm in Hadley, Red Fire Farm in Ludlow, and The Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre. Students visited other youth garden groups like Nuestras Raices in Holyoke, and UGROW, in Worcester. In August the GC students participated in community service at the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen in downtown Springfield.

Thanks to NOFA/Mass and an anonymous donor, I was able to attend the 2003 Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA. It was amazing! I was able to meet with other people who were involved in social and ecological change, and learned more about the connection between the two. Although I knew that the work I was doing was important, at the Bioneers Conference I realized how vital urban agriculture development was. I learned how communities can become empowered by improving access to healthy and local agriculture and I began to see more clearly why depletion of resources should be a concern of all communities not just rural or wealthy ones. When I left the Bioneers I was excited. I knew that I was in a position to bring this knowledge to my community and I would.

Jonathan Bates, the garden coordinator, and I attended the 2003 Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) conference, in Boston, MA (Nov 1-5). With support from a conference scholarship, in an initiative called B.L.A.S.T. (Building Lasting Agriculture Systems Today), we were able to join a partnership with CFSC and The Food Project to incorporate a meaningful youth presence at the conference. The theme of the conference was called Growing the Movement and we discussed new opportunities and challenges for community food security. There were community youth agriculture groups from all over the country. Most of them were grassroots organizations engaged in the same work as GC, and interested in educating and empowering communities through their local food system. We were able to network with other groups in an effort to become involved in the BLAST initiative locally and nationally. I realized that local farmers could play a vital part in helping urban communities become more sustainable, through projects such as ours. Communities could then become more aware of where their food comes from, and can then take an active role in supporting and developing that food system.

GC is continuing to grow, adding another lot to the project, which has been given by the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council. We will continue to engage more of the community by promoting urban agriculture, making nutrition information and healthy food more accessible, and exposing more youth to sustainable growing practices, environmental justice, and community leadership.

Here is a reflection from one of the GC youth of a field trip from this summer that was published in the July 2003 issue of the NOFA/Mass Newsletter:

By Jennifer, A Gardening the Community Junior Staffer

July 2nd, 2003

At Jonathan's house...

We did our morning exercises (circle games) and went to see the animals. (a few pigs, a Japanese deer and a few emus) and learned it takes more than one year to make a compost pile naturally. (6 months if turned) [We saw] a few roosters (but it's not like I hear them every morning in Springfield). Then there was a water garden with a very familiar plant (as seen in Forest Park) the cattail. [The water garden] was easily constructed (a child's wading pool, some aquamarine plants and a filter). We also saw a rather large garden mostly flowers. But personally I think the green house (which he and his friend constructed themselves) was the centerpiece.

For more information about the program, or to find out how you can get involved with us please contact:

GtC Program Coordinatorr, Ippy Amatul-Wadud, gtc@nofamass.org

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