https://www.nwfecoleaders.org/forms/item/57/734

Community

To create a community garden to provide free fresh produce to my community. Additionally, my goal is to increase community engagement, and to increase environmental awareness amongst the youth.

Advocacy, Community Building, Education

As of three weeks ago, I was given permission from the town to go forward with my community garden. Due to Covid restrictions, I am unfortunately unable to include a significant number of individuals in the project until it is safe to do so. Additionally, due to seasonal reasons, I have only planted basil and various herbs. The project will be paused until the spring. However, I have the funds and the support to restart the garden as early as the spring of 2021 (with permission). Additionally, I have technically begun planting the garden (although the plants thus far are limited to basil, mushrooms, and other plants that can survive cold climates). Nevertheless, I am proud of the effort I have made thus far and cannot wait to resume in the spring.

Plants planted

I have purchased the seeds, soil, and gardening tools and have begun planting mushrooms and various herbs with the help of ten other members of my community. I have also talked with students in the local school about the environment and have written support from several members of my community who have pledged to take part in the initiative. Although I recognize my project has not yet technically begun, I believe this type of project is ongoing and will hopefully last for years. As a result, I am choosing to view the project as having commenced or in progress and hopefully without an end.

I began the project this summer after working at a local produce stand in East Hampton New York. While I enjoyed the experience tremendously, I couldn't help but notice the expensive prices of the products. As a result, I talked to my manager about starting a garden and she was very willing to help me. She told me about where I could buy inexpensive seeds and gardening supplies. She also gave me coupons to get discounts at local stores.

Prior to working at the farm, I did not have significant gardening knowledge. However, thanks to my father and the people around me I have been able to improve my knowledge substantially. I also decided to spend my first semester of virtual college taking courses about environmental law and science to expand my knowledge and to be sure this was a project I was passionate about. Additionally, I was not sure if I would gain support from my neighbors around me but have been pleasantly surprised to see the widespread support. Most, if not everyone I asked was willing to contribute in one way or another. Lastly, I was unsure if the town would be okay with the project, but they were more than willing to support any project that helped the earth.

My religious sanctuary, family, friends, and members of my local community all contributed to my project whether financially or through physical assistance. I could not have started this project without them and am incredibly grateful.

I canvased my neighborhood asking for donations (almost every neighbor was happy to donate to. my cause). Additionally, I held fundraisers around my neighborhood in early September. The total amount of money needed was not very substantial and with the help and support of the people around me I was able to meet my goal relatively quickly.

I posted flyers at our local town square. Additionally, I asked every individual I met if they could spread the word and went house by house to the canvas.

Group reflection, Individual reflection, Other

I asked individuals in my community if they were happy with the results thus far. Many, if not all of them shared a deep appreciation and were eager to become involved. While I did not do any online surveys I would be happy to create them if you believe they would be an asset. Additionally, I have spent a significant time reflecting on the project. I am genuinely extremely proud of the work I started even if it is just one garden.

Other

I will continue to work on this project and grow the garden for years to come. With the help of people around me, I believe this can be very successful and I am very excited to continue working on it and gaining support in the future. I have also decided to start the project in Pawcatuck Connecticut. With extra funds from my first project, I decided to do a similar project in Connecticut where I also have residence. Hopefully, I can have a similar impact here as I did in the City.

I learned that people are more than willing to collaborate and work effectively on projects. I cannot tell you how impressed I was by the sheer interest and support I received from individuals around me. I also learned how important access to fresh produce is and I hope in the future I can create other gardens around New York (hopefully within the city). I will contact my college as soon as the semester has finished discussing the possibility of supporting my efforts to build a community garden somewhere in New York City. I also learned that I am more capable of doing things than I previously believed. While this may have not been the most complex project, I spent a lot of time putting in the effort and will continue to do so well into the future. As a result, I learned that perseverance is perhaps more important than anything else.

I would like to say that this project is more than possible and incredibly rewarding. I would like to say that communities are incredibly important and anyway you can get people involved and working together is a positive thing. I would also say that this type of project gives you an immense appreciation for the work ethic of individuals and the empathy they feel for other people. There were days when it was freezing outside and we wanted nothing more than to go inside and drink warm coffee. However, we persisted because we knew it would help the greater community and that is something that everyone I worked with recognized.

In addition to growing the garden, I will continue to ask individuals if they will participate. I will also hopefully create social media platforms to spread awareness and gain more volunteers. Additionally, I will continue to fundraise and do everything in my power to support other projects who seek to effectuate necessary change, whether environmental or other. This project has been an incredible experience and I don't think I could do it without help from other people. As I continue to work and reopen the garden in the spring, I hope that members on this site may be able to give me advice on my project or tips to improving it. I also pledge that I will continue to view their projects and contribute in anyway I can. Thank you very much for this opportunity to share my project and have it gain significance. Organizations such as yours are vital and have really expanded my knowledge on how to continue to develop this project and work on ones in the future.