Community Garden, November Issue, Number Three clone_2015 | Page 75

� �
Food pantry gardens may be established at a food pantry , food bank or other location . Produce is grown by volunteers , food pantry clients , or both and donated to the food pantry . Therapy gardens provide horticultural therapy to hospital patients and others . A trained horticulture therapist often leads programs and classes . Gardens may be located at hospitals , senior centers , prisons or other places . Demonstration gardens show different types of gardening methods , plant varieties , composting techniques and more . Demonstration gardens show different types of gardening methods , plant varieties , composting techniques and more . Demonstration gardens located at working community gardens are often open to the general public for display and classes . They may be managed and maintained by garden members or a participating gardening group such as extension Master Gardeners , community members who receive training in home horticulture and then serve as volunteers to educate the public about gardening . Visit the MU Extension Master Gardener program website for more information .
* Adapted in part from : From Neglected Parcels to Community Gardens : A Handbook , Wasatch Community Gardens . Other gardens are distinguished more by their location and less by their purpose . These gardens may combine elements of a neighborhood community garden with other community garden models . Examples include , but are not limited to : public agency gardens , community center gardens , senior gardens , church gardens , apartment complex / public housing gardens and prison gardens .
Rural community gardens Although community gardens are often associated with urban areas , they exist in many rural areas as well . However , because of the unique characteristics of rural places , they often take on different forms and serve different functions . Research conducted by Ashley F . Sullivan ( 1999 ) from the Center on Hunger and Poverty at Tufts University identified a number of ways in which rural community gardens differ from their urban counterparts . Her research uncovered different types of rural community gardens along with obstacles to community gardening in rural areas . Sullivan identified seven different types of rural community gardens in her study . They included the following :
� Traditional neighborhood-type gardens with individual and family plots ;
� Gardens that provide demonstration and education to gardeners at neighborhood gardens and home gardens ;
� Communal gardens tended collectively with the produce going to a local food pantry ;
� Educational gardens that offer classes to the public ;
� School gardens that incorporate gardening and nutrition education ; �
Community-assisted home gardens where an experienced gardener mentors novice gardeners in their home gardening efforts ;
� Gardens affiliated with an existing agency , apartment complex or church .
Sullivan identified obstacles to community gardening in rural areas as well . Obstacles include a high rate of gardener and volunteer turnover , animosity between " outsiders " and community members , lack of gardening skills and lack of transportation .
Sullivan also offers recommendations for overcoming some of these obstacles :
� Do not assume that the traditional neighborhood community garden model will work in rural areas .
� During the planning stages , identify obstacles to starting a community garden in a rural area .
� Identify solutions to the obstacles .
� Respect the values of the community and incorporate those values into the garden ' s design . �
Be flexible when deciding how to organize a garden ; incorporate different models into a plan to see which one works best .
� Help gardeners cultivate a sense of ownership for the garden .
� Take time to look at all of the factors that might hinder participation .
� Involve local organizations and businesses .
75