Creating Inclusivity in Community Gardens
The benefits of community gardens in metropolitan areas are easy to state. They can facilitate neighborhood togetherness. They can create a tremendous resource for affordable, healthy food in food deserts. Ultimately, community gardens can become the center for disparate groups to get together and focus on a singular task. The idea behind community gardens is all about inclusivity and equity among members in a town or neighborhood, but those trying to open one need to be cognizant of the way they message and accommodate for inclusivity.
A study on community gardens in Vancouver showed that community gardens in those neighborhoods were very popular, but often unintentionally excluded those in the neighborhood who were older, had physical disabilities or spoke different languages just because there was not enough work put into reaching out to those groups.
In order to ensure that your community garden works for the entire community, steps have to be taken to invite and enlist those with different backgrounds or abilities. This is the only way that individuals can make the garden a beacon for social equitability in the neighborhood. Going door-to-door and speaking to people one on one is the best way that has been found to ensure that those in underrepresented groups are reached. Specifically, enlisting the help of those who spoke different languages shows those who are recently immigrated or of other cultures that they are welcome and encouraged to participate. Additionally, offering a diverse grouping of activities for those who are not interested in gardening may include more people. This can include beekeeping, community spaces, events, and children's days.
Additional thought should be put into the layout of the garden when considering the elderly and those with physical limitations. An effective solution is to create raised garden beds about 24” high with 4’ wide structural pathways in between them. This creates an atmosphere of accessibility for those in wheelchairs and for those who have a harder time bending or going on their knees.
Gardens that are looking to encourage diversity should disperse flyers and posters in other languages and make sure to personally invite all households in the neighborhood, including translators when appropriate. Other gardens have implemented monthly dinners where members of the garden create food from the vegetables grown for the group and share their own cultural flavors and family recipes. This practice can especially be beneficial for children in the group to experience flavors and cultures outside of what they are used to at home.
There are many ways to create an equitable space centered in community gardens. With enough thought and planning, a community garden can become the center for the neighborhood and create connections between groups. Creating community and empathy between groups can bring your city closer and closer to a socially equitable space.
Resources:
Study in Vancouver: Inclusive Community Gardens
Community Garden Council of Waterloo: Accessible Gardens (Photo Credit)
Building Wheelchair Accessible Raised Garden Beds
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