IDENTIFYING THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN MOVEMENT

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GROWING URBAN GARDENS IN ELGIN

• IDENTIFYING THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE
  COMMUNITY GARDEN MOVEMENT

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National Trend Going back to our Roots
Elgin is leading the area in the movement toward
locally grown food, building community gardens,
and promoting awareness of healthy eating and
growing your own food. 5 gardens in 2010 Rooted
and Grew to. 15 gardens in 2011 Which Blossomed
into 21 gardens in 2012
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Fit for Kids Grant Provided Start-Up

• 2011 Received 10,000 Grant
• City Parks and Recreation Department partnered
  with ECGN to obtain the grant
• established new gardens and
• provided training for all
• 15 gardens received support
• 2012 Received another 10,000 Grant
• Provided more training to site managers and
  volunteers to make the gardens sustainable in the
  future
• Start-up support for new gardens

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Growing list of Participating Partners

• Elgin Climate Change Organization
• Elgin Community Network
• Elgin Firefighters Local 439
• Elgin Public Museum
• Elgin Farmers Market
• Kane County Public Health Department
• Kleins Farm and Garden Market
• Gail Borden Library
• City of Elgin

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Benefits of Community Gardens

• Educates our Youth
• Classes throughout the summer
• Feeds the Hungry
• In 2010 240 lbs. of food were distributed
• In 2011 668 lbs. of food distributed
• Volunteers Sweat Equity
• Volunteer hours - 11,645 value as of October
  2011

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How can the City of Elgin be supportive?
Can we help turn this
into this?
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Idle land into community Gardens..

• New York City Green Thumb Program
• Portland Community Garden Program
• Seattle P-Patch Community Garden Program
• Chicago Community Gardens
• Baltimores Green Space
• Madison Wisconsin
• Project Grow -Ann Arbor

MODELS IN OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
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Weighing the pros and cons.

• Why say no?
• Gardens might not be maintained
• Insurance Liabilities
• Water Accessibility
• Discourages development
• Squatters rights issues later on

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Weighing the pros and cons.

• Why say yes?
• Decreases the need for city maintenance
• Helps clear empty lots of debris and litter
• Gardens facilitate neighborhood engagement
• Helps reinforce the citys sustainability
  initiatives
• Fosters healthy eating habits and exercise
• Provides support to local community groups at no
  cost to the city
• Provides apartment dweller a place to grow their
  own food

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Elgins Pilot Plan..

• Find a neighborhood in need
• Identify suitable city owned lots
• Gather stakeholders together
• Determine who will be the lead 501c3 organization

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Program Introduced in 2012

• New City Gardens Lease Program
• Vacant city-owned lots not planned for
  development in the near future, putting idle
  land to good use
• Modeled after other citys programs
• Saves cost of mowing and maintaining
• License agreement available for 10 per year- 3
  year lease extension
• Available to Not-for-Profit Groups, churches,
  civic groups or neighborhood associations

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Program Introduced in 2012

• New City Gardens Lease Program Requirements
• Leasing organization must be an Elgin area
  not-for-profit
• Must sign an agreement outlining terms and
  conditions
• Organization must have insurance policy of at
  least 1 million naming the city as co-insured
• Leasing organization may not build any permanent
  structures on the property
• Must maintain the site in accordance with city
  codes and ordinances
• Licensee is responsible for the cost to run a
  water supply line and water service to the
  property
• Agreement can be renewed for successive three
  year terms

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Designing a Trial Project..

• Citys Goal
• Identify a neighborhood that would benefit
• Find sponsor organization that will oversee the
  maintenance and be willing to be the leasing body
• Engage local leaders, residents and children in
  planning
• Clearly define responsibilities and roles
• Create a tool to strengthen neighborhood and
  family relationships
• Assure the process is simple and straightforward
  for applicants

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Land Lease with Boys and Girls Club

• Community Garden at City -Owned Lot at 355 Ann
  Street
• Gardens to be used as educational tool and
  incorporated into BG Club program
• Neighborhood is actively involved in addition
  to Boys and Girls Club, the ROPE officer,
  Settlement Neighborhood Association, and
  neighborhood volunteers participate

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Boys and Girls Club Community Garden

• Boys and Girls Club Goals include
• teaching youth how to grow and eat healthy
• build a sense of pride in the community by
  creating a garden maintained by community
  residents
• utilize the garden as a community building tool
• instill in participating youth a sense of
  accomplishment and teamwork through successful
  creation of the community garden
• incorporate garden into various Club programs
  including programming focused on healthy eating,
  environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship,
  leadership, amongst others
•  

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Boys and Girls Club Community Garden

• Measurable results
• (a) youth knowledge of health eating habits,
• (b) connection between growing a garden and good
  environmentally healthy practices
• For 2013.Expanding to create a
  ForgivenessGarden

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Goals for the future.

• Identify more city-owned lots for garden
  development
• 2013- hope to create a new one on Rt 31
• Match locations with appropriate partner
  organizations
• Use these gardens to help strengthen
  neighborhoods and provide food for local food
  pantries

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Questions?