Doing Gardens Differently
!mpact Church & Brown Middle School (BMS) Garden
Prepared by Julie Borders For Rudy Fears
21 January 2010
Agenda
• BMS Garden Background• “Ripe” Environment• “Bearing Fruit”• Re-trenching• Meeting the Challenges• Next Steps
Brown Middle School Garden Background
• Collaboratively created by various West End Stakeholders in 2008– 501(c)(3)Created Vibrant Communities (CVC)– Community Association West End Historic District (WEND)– City-sponsored Neighborhood Planning Unit – T (NPU-T)– District 2 Atlanta Public School Board Representative
Khaatim El– Brown Middle School Staff
• Envisioned as a Multi-user Site– Edible School Yard– Community Garden– Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Business
• Governed by Multi-year APS Facility-CVC Lease– CVC Dissolution in process– New Project Sponsorship Search
“Ripe” EnvironmentMacro Trends
• Back to Basics : Green (Eco) / Food Literacy Movement
• 1st Lady’s White House Garden
• President Clinton’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiatives / School Lunch Report Cards
• Abundance of Unused + Misdirected Land & Physical/Mental Energy
Micro Trends• Neighborhood &
Spelman College Food Literacy Efforts
• Established Community & Church Gardens in West End
• APS-mandated Wellness Programs
• Abundance of Unused Land + Misdirected Physical/Mental Energy
“Bearing Fruit”Brown’s 1st Growing Season
• Eight Raised Beds / 10+Prepped Rows / Compost & Mulch Piles
• Participation from Multiple Volunteer Groups & Individuals
• Vegetable & Herb Crops included– Tomatoes, Okra, Corn, Beans,
Peppers, Squash, Collards, Kale– Basil
• Sold & Donated Produce– Atwood CSA & SWOOM
Community Markets– Hosea Feed the Hungry
“Bearing Fruit”Other Local Youth & Multi-Gen Garden
Examples:School-based• KIPP WAYS Academy
www.kippways.org– Washington Park Community
Charter Elementary School – Saturday Program
• Pearl Academy Agricultural & Environmental Center www.pearlacademy.org– SWAT Elementary & Middle
Specialized School– Summer Camp + Circle of Life
Gardening Center – Youth Entrepreneurs
“Bearing Fruit” Other Local Youth & Multi-Gen Garden
Examples:Community Center - based• Operation PEACE
www.operationpeace.org– Villages of Bedford Pines
Community (Old 4th Ward) Neighborhood Development Organization
– Summer Program for Elementary & Middle School Children
“Bearing Fruit” Other Local Youth & Multi-Gen Garden
Examples:Church – based/located
• Good Shepherd Community Church
– West End Religious Organization– Agricultural/Gardening Ministry
• Healthly Belvedere www.healthybelvedere.org
– Partnership among Kaiser Fiundation Health Plan of GA, The community Foundation of Greater Atlanta + the Belvedere Community in
– Peace Lutheran Church Site
Re-trenching• The Need
– CVC Board Volunteer Fatigue / Circumstantial Changes– Multi-year Lease Remaining Time– Continued Stakeholder Interest
• The !mpact-Brown Opportunity– Closer/Deeper Bond between/among Key Community
Organizations– Community Development: Economic/People
• The Challenges– Organizational Fit– Capacity/Skills– Funding– West End Resident Engagement
Meeting the Challenges• Organizational Fit
– Impact Give Back + Youth Development Programs– Future of Impact co-location with Brown– Future Turnover Potential
• Capacity/Skills– !mpacter Rudy Fears– Community Gardening Activists
• Julie Borders• Eugene Cooke• Yasmin Mouzon
– Organizational Resources• GA Organics• Atlanta Urban Gardening Program• Fulton County Extension Program, UGA• American Community Gardeners Association• The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta• The Foundation Center
• Funding– Initial !mpact Infusion– Self-sustaining Goal (Earned Income)
• CSA component• After School Programs/Summer Camps• Childrens Parties
• West End Resident Engagement– Robert Thompson, CVC Executive Director– Reconnection with WEND & other community organizations
Next Steps• Determine Key Decision Criteria• Size Initial Investment• Communicate Plan of Action to Concerned
Parties• •