Subject: Re: Urban Community Gardens

From: [email-masked] (Angeline Kantola)
Date: 10 Nov 1994 23:32:05 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Boyd  Zenner <[email-masked]> wrote:
>Does anyone on the net have any experience with an urban
>community garden program?  There is some local interest in
>starting one here, and I'd very much like to know about people's
>experiences with such initiatives, along with any recommendations for
>establishing a program or suggestions regarding sources of further
>information.  Either post or e-mail fine.

Seattle has a *tremendously* popular program called the PPatch. Probably 
20 'patches' of various sizes (maybe 10 to 100 plots per patch, depending 
on size of course), and there's always a waiting list. I shared a plot 
with my boyfriend this summer and loved it; hopefully I'll get a plot of 
my own for next summer. 

Plots are available year round (ca. $60/plot) or seasonally (like May 
through October; $30 and up/plot) and gardeners are expected to volunteer 
a certain low number of hours as well (helping maintain their plot, 
making phone calls, cutting Reemay, stuff like that as well as making 
improvements like building greenhouses or beginning/end of season special 
tasks). Pesticides and the like are banned outright; the folks who run 
the project are quite knowledgeable about organic gardening and help out 
newbies like myself. 

Surely more PPatchers are out here on the 'Net and can offer more info. 

Good luck with your program!
Angie Kantola