The Benefits of Community Gardens

The Benefits of Community Gardens

A community garden is defined as a group of people coming together to create a garden. Community gardens are not necessarily all communal in that everyone shares in the work and harvest as a whole. Many community gardens are set up so that each person has a lot. Members of the community garden are usually required to spend enough time to keep their lot maintained and weed-free. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn from each other, learn new techniques, and discover new fresh herbs and vegetables to grow.

Even schools are getting more involved in teaching children about the benefits of gardening and farming in a sustainable way. There has been a significant generation gap of people not being educated in horticulture. This lack of education in both growing eating healthy food has been an essential factor in the health crisis we see today in obesity and diabetes. Young or old, we can all benefit by learning more about growing food ourselves!

Organic Gardening

Community gardens these days are also more likely to be organic. It’s a unique way of gardening in that all sorts of people, young and old, can come together and work as a team to accomplish. Just in the Toronto area, there are over 100 community gardens, and generally, every city or town has them. If you check your city’s website, you might find a link for local community gardens.

Gardening doesn’t have to be complicated, you can even start by growing herbs inside. You can read more here: Useful Herbs to Grow at Home.

Locally Sourced Food

There is also growth in small grocery stores opening up that sell locally grown foods. Some of these stores even buy from local gardeners, even if it’s just one basket of fruit or vegetables.

Have you had any experience with community gardens? If so, please feel free to share your experience in the comment section!

If you’re interested in gardening or joining a community garden, here are some books to help get you started:
All New Square Foot Gardening
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It

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