Community Garden Project
As I mentioned before, NeighborLink Fort Wayne will be entering into partnership with the Williams Woodland Park Historic Neighborhood (WWPHN). WW is located just south of downtown Fort Wayne about 8 blocks and is a nationally registered historic neighborhood that is rich in history and diversity.
Williams Woodland was selected to be one of three test sites by the City of Fort Wayne to implement a community garden as part of their test initiative called Food For The Fort. Food For The Fort is designed to implement the community garden concept to raise food for those who are struggling in tough economic times.
Here is a breakdown of the 3 groups:
1. Solomon Farms Park - This is a City funded park managed by the Parks & Recreation department. They will be maintaining approximately 20 4’ x 12’ beds. All raised produce will go directly to the Community Harvest Food Bank here in Fort Wayne.
2. Refugee Resource Center - This is a local facility in which 6 organiations serving our huge Burmese population reside in. They have assembled their 27 beds on a vacant lot next to their building. These beds will be maintained by 27 refugee families who will be growing food for their families, their community and will have an opportunity to sell their excess produce in a farmers market setting.The pictures you see are from this plot.
3. WWHPN - Traditional neighborhood setting designed to bring the neighborhood together. The plot must be designed and implemented by the neighborhood as well as maintained. Each family in the neighborhood has the opportunity to have their own plot and assume full responsibility of it. Each family will have the right to use their produced as they wish but will be encouraged to share within the neighborhood, with the food banks or sell at the farmers market.
All the gardens will be raised beds rising above the ground by 10-12" and use organic growing philosophies and techniques.
Where Does NeighborLink Fit?
The board of NeighborLink has been discussing the community garden idea as a potential program we provide in the future. We see the community garden concepts and success stories from other communities as aligning with our neighborhood development desires. We know that a neighborhood that interacts with each other is a much healthier, safer, and supported community. If we can help facilitate interaction, we trust that the needs we see via our website and others will begin disapaiting.
Partnering with WW is a great way for us to get in on the ground level of a self-initiated concept by the neighborhood. We can invest material resources and input on site development and we can learn from their experiences.
And, to be honest, this neighborhood is the neighborhood my wife and I live in. This will give us an opportunity to be engaged throughout the entire process to witness first hand the relational and developmental possibilities this concept could have within a neighborhood.
So, I will be involved in building, designing, and maintaining a plot. I will be documenting the progess via this blog and a written report later in the season. I encourage you to visit often.
If you have questions or would like to come visit our site, let me know.
