Community gardening at its finest!

The Greening Of Minnesota
Exploring The Wonderful Minnesota Green Program
By Jim Kohut, Staff Writer

More and more cities and towns across the North are coming to realize just how important community gardens can be to the creation of vibrant, healthy, safe and beautiful neighborhoods. They instill a sense of pride and ownership at a community level that filters down to the individual homes in the neighborhood. They can provide food for families, especially in lower-income and inner-city areas where private land is at a premium. They encourage cooperation among neighbors which can in turn reduce crime. They can educate both young and old alike about nature and the environment, as well as provide valuable lessons on leadership and volunteerism. And above all, they can instill a love of gardening throughout an entire community.

It's one thing to talk about the concept of community gardening, but it's quite another to put it into practice in the real world. There are numerous challenges and hurdles to overcome, and the coordination of a successful effort can be daunting. But like all good things in life, the rewards of achievement return dividends many times greater than the effort invested, and in this case, the entire community is the beneficiary.

So it only seems fitting that in this month of November which we've dedicated to community gardening and volunteerism across the Northscaping region, we highlight an example where the principles have been put into action towards a successful program and we tell the story for all Northscapers to benefit from. And thus we set out to answer the question, "Are there exemplary models in our region from which all communities can learn?"

Discovering A Role Model In Minnesota

The great news is that there are a number of successful community gardening programs across the North which demonstrate beyond a doubt that leadership and coordination are the key ingredients behind each success story. And among these programs, none is more exemplary and enduring than the Minnesota Green program.

Administered by the renowned Minnesota State Horticultural Society, the stalwart organization that has guided horticulture in the wonderful state of Minnesota for over 140 years, this program has come to typify the best in community gardening coordination. Minnesota Green is an important initiative of the Society, which sees statewide greening through community gardens as an opportunity to impact physical, economic and personal lives in large and small communities alike.

The proponents of community gardening at the MSHS know the kind of results an effective program can deliver to the citizens of the state and even to visitors from out of state. They appreciate how community gardens can serve as focal points for community cooperation and pride. They recognize that successful greening projects bring the individual volunteers personal satisfaction through the joys of gardening. They understand how caring for the land through ongoing community plantings can inspire future generations.

While the Minnesota Green program itself has since become a model for similar initiatives throughout the Northscaping region, like all good ideas it was initially modeled after a similarly successful community gardening effort in the city of Philadelphia, directed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. A local chapter of the MSHS in St. Paul spearheaded an effort to learn from the Philadelphia Green program and endeavored to recreate the success story in the Twin Cities.

Thanks to some political support and a group of committed individuals, the initiative was ultimately adopted by the MSHS, opening its doors in 1988 with a statewide program consisting of 12 garden sites and 17 other greening activities. Since that time, the Minnesota Green program has been the inspiration and mentor for hundreds of community gardening projects across the state, helping them develop successful programs which are going strong to this very day.

The objectives of the Minnesota Green program are clear. It seeks to promote community revitalization, maximize volunteer involvement, leverage broad-based resources, revitalize public green spaces, expand environmental awareness and education and encourage cooperation. The success of the program clearly lies in the organization, expertise and support it provides would-be gardening projects right from the start. After all, when you've had hundreds of opportunities to perfect the process, you're bound to get it right, and sometimes nothing makes a better teacher than the school of experience.

The Making Of A Community Garden Project

Here's how a typical community garden initiative works under the program. Project proponents develop a proposal with which to buy in the community and gain a sponsor. They must prepare a budget and look after the necessary financial aspects of the project, including the identification and solicitation of one or more funding partners, which can be both public and private. A site is selected, the formal plans are developed, and site preparation can then begin. The required materials and supplies are identified and donations must be secured. It then falls to a strong volunteer base to implement and maintain the garden, and to fully leverage its potential within the community. This is definitely a simplification of the process, but that's the gist of it.

And the Minnesota Green program is there to help along much of the way. They can coordinate the resources of various horticultural-related organizations, local and state governments and businesses. They offer technical assistance in planning, land utilization and horticultural training and provide access to planting and construction materials.

To this end, Minnesota Green has compiled a handbook for planning and creating community gardens for the enhancement and beautification of cities and towns entitled "Creating Community Gardens". This is an indispensable guide that represents the culmination of the experiences and methods of the program, presented in a way that others can utilize for their own projects.

It presents methods for planning community garden projects, site preparation and implementation, horticultural considerations, as well as the kind of technical assistance the Minnesota State Horticultural Society can provide individual projects through the Minnesota Green program. It includes such useful features as a checklist for planning a project from scratch, a monthly calendar of activities and tasks, and detailed descriptions of what is required in terms of volunteers, land, funding and plants. Yes, it is comprehensive, and thankfully so!

It becomes quite apparent that the leadership of a local or regional coordinator is essential to the success of a broad-based program, and this is where the Minnesota State Horticultural Society really shines. They have structured the Minnesota Green program to not only act as a focal point for the coordination of efforts and a resource for information, but to also get involved right down to the grassroots level.

For example, the program is able to offer consultation on specific problems that a project may encounter. They can direct and coordinate the efforts of the various components of a successful program, matching needs with providers and opportunities. They put on community gardening conferences and seminars across the region and host awards and recognition events. They even provide a regular newsletter.

But it gets far more “grassroots” than this. For a small annual fee, the program is able to provide access to plant materials, tools, and facilities to aid in the implementation of individual projects. They coordinate donations from various local businesses, manufacturers and private donors.

And this comes to the heart of one of the key challenges of any community gardening project - funding. It takes money, labor and various in-kind contributions to implement a project, and these have to come from somewhere. In an environment where more and more interest groups are canvassing for precious dollars and other contributions, it can be quite a challenge for a gardening project to gain the kind of visibility required to compete for funds and to deliver results.

That's where the experience of a program such as Minnesota Green can be invaluable. They have been there many times before, and they are no strangers to the concept of creative funding. They have experience in arranging garden tours, plant sales, workshops and festivals as fundraising vehicles for community projects. They also know their way around the intricacies of grant applications and the ways of corporate and foundation funding. That's the kind of support that novice community groups will find infinitely helpful in getting their project off the ground.

Lessons To Be Learned For All

So what's the lesson for other Northscaping regions? First of all, every community in the North should acknowledge the importance of community gardening and volunteerism to the general betterment of the community and its neighborhoods; the benefits are proven and worth the effort and investment. It is hard to put a value on making a community a better place to live, but there is no question that the citizens know it.

There is no doubting the value of a central coordination program such as Minnesota Green; it has clearly made the difference between a disparate assortment of uncoordinated local garden projects and a statewide movement which is clearly producing demonstrable results. Community groups know where to go for information, resources and help; potential donors know that they can trust their money is in good hands and will be appropriately distributed where it's truly needed; and, local governments have some assurance that projects won't fall victim to mismanagement or poor planning.

And finally, a champion like the Minnesota State Horticultural Society is the fundamental driver that underpins it all. With a commitment to the beautification of the state of Minnesota and the science of northern horticulture as its fundamental principles, this organization is ideally suited to manage this program with the passion and drive to see it succeed and deliver on its objectives. The horticultural strength of a region originates in its core, and every gardening organization can benefit from a role model like the MSHS.

So if you live in a northern community that is seeking to unify its community gardening and volunteerism efforts to deliver maximum results, it need look no further than the Minnesota Green program for a fine model to follow. Mobilize your local horticultural society or garden club and bring the MSHS' Minnesota Green program to their attention. By sharing knowledge and experience such as this, all of our northern communities can be the beneficiaries.

The Minnesota Green program is an initiative of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. You can visit their website at www.northerngardener.com for more information on the program and the MSHS.

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