The school and community garden movement is flourishing on the Southcoast. 2010 is shaping up to be a very promising year as new gardens are becoming a reality in a number of our communities.
For those interested in new garden development we have a list of resources to assist you in your planning. Brix Bounty farm offers consulting and learning opportunities for those involved with the community and school garden movement. Our free Feb./March 2010 Roots Down sessions will provide garden planning tips which are relevant to gardens of all sizes. The Southcoast Community Gardens Coalition has funding available to assist with soil testing in your community or educational garden. Please contact the farm at 508-992-1868 for more information.
Trade Your Foodmiles for Foodsteps – Local Food, Urban Agriculture, and Food Systems at the Crossroads
“I would hope that we can move along a continuum to make sure that all of citizens have access to the same fresh, safe, affordable good food regardless of their cultural, social oreconomic situation.” Growing Power’s Will Allen offers a Food Manifesto for America
- Quick – Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) – 6 Basic Principals of Community Food Security
- Intermediate – Michael Pollan’s 2008 NY Times article Farmer-in-Chief or for those who are inclined toward television instead of print – Bill Moyer’s Interview with Michael Pollan.
- Deep – Report: The Food and Farming Transition – Toward a Post Carbon Food System published by the Post Carbon Institute – Richard Heinberg’s organization focusing on peak energy
Garden Resources – See our Farm&Garden Resource Page for more Brix Bounty Farm tip sheets on small scale food production and our tip sheet focusing on Garden Education Resources.
- Getting Started – a Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms published by the Center for Ecoliteracy, which is “dedicated to education for sustainable living.”
- Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, Rhode Island produced this 2 page brochure: Growing Healthy Food with a Lead Free Garden
- Planning on building a raised bed? The ENACT Project in Tiverton and Brown University published this quick and easy Raised Bed Garden 101 pamphlet.
- Two local organizations of note who are focusing on school gardens: the Marion Institute’s Seed to Table Initiative and The Children’s Garden Network.
- Mass Ag. in the Classroom hosts a winter conference for educators every year; this year’s conference is scheduled for March 13th, 2010 in Ludlow, MA
Here is a partial list of Community and Educational Gardens in the Greater New Bedford Area from the Summer 2009.
Southcoast Community Gardens Coalition:
Join us for the next scheduled Southcoast Community Gardens Coalition meeting on Wed. Apr. 7th, 2010 at Noon at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House&Garden Museum (we meet in the Coachman’s House – entrance off 7th St.) in New Bedford. For details please call the farm or email derek. The Southcoast Community Gardens Coalition has a small pool of funding available to assist you with soil testing in your community garden. Call the farm, 508-992-1868 for details. For reference: Community Garden Visioning Session Oct 2008 and our most recent Community Gardens Coalition Notes Feb 3 2010.