The People

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The Peoples Garden Initiative
Aimee Omohundro Housing Technician USDA Rural
Development
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What is the Peoples Garden Initiative?
The Peoples Garden Initiative is an effort by
the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) which challenges its employees to
establish Peoples Gardens at USDA facilities
worldwide or help communities create gardens.
Peoples Gardens vary in size and type, but all
have a common purpose to help the community
theyre within and the environment.
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Peoples Garden Criteria
1. Benefits the Community

• Gardens can benefit communities in
• many different ways, such as
• Creating spaces for leisure or recreation
• Fostering pride through beautification
• Providing a harvest to a local food bank,
• Providing food or shelter for wildlife
• Serving as a demonstration site to educate the
  public and raise awareness of issues such as
  natural resource conservation, nutrition, healthy
  eating, sustainable agriculture, forestry, etc.
•  

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Peoples Garden Criteria
2. Is a Collaborative Effort
The garden was created and/or is maintained by a
partnership of individuals, groups,
organizations, state or federal agencies.
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Peoples Garden Criteria
3. Incorporates Sustainable Practices

• Utilizing rain barrels for irrigation, or
• Using water efficient irrigation systems
• Xeriscaping
• Composting, mulching, or use of cover crops
• Planting native species
• Encouraging beneficial insects
• Erosion control
• Storm water management

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Note Gardens located at private residences are
NOT eligible to become Peoples Gardens.
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• Kirkendall Heights
• in Ellsworth, Kansas developed new whiskey
  barrel gardens.
• Residents Betty Jo and Eric are proud to show off
  their new gardens.

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OLoughlin Village GardenSoxx

• John Harsch and Barb Simpson of Sustainable
  Environmental Consultants have offered to donate,
  install, and educate managers and tenants on the
  maintenance of GardenSoxx for three Multi-Family
  Housing complexes in Kansas.  The GardenSoxx are
  environmentally friendly, weed free planting
  soxx that may be placed anywhere and moved as
  necessary.  These convenient products will allow
  the projects to join the Peoples Garden
  initiative by growing the plants of their choice
  without the hassle and worry of digging a
  traditional garden.

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Lakin GardenSoxx
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Liberal GardenSoxx
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Trinity Place Senior Residence

• These raised-bed gardens are located at Trinity
  Place Senior Residence in Atchison, Kan., which
  is managed by Homestead Affordable Housing.
  Homestead Affordable Housing shared their success
  of implementing raised-bed gardens at their
  housing projects during the 2011 Rural Rental
  Housing Association of Kansas Conference in Great
  Bend.

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Getting Involved

• Start a Peoples Garden at School!
• Help a USDA Rural Development complex build
  and/or maintain a garden!
• Donate plants, supplies, or time!
• Call Aimee Omohundro at USDA Rural Development
  for more information about getting involved!
  [phone]

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• Kerri Ebert serves as the Kansas Sustainable
  Agriculture Research Education (SARE)
  Coordinator.  Ebert stated that SARE offers youth
  grants for demonstration projects that provide
  hands-on experience in exploring sustainable
  agricultural issues and practices.  Multi-family
  housing complexes looking to create raised beds,
  or developing other innovative gardening
  techniques, could contact possible youth partners
  like  FFA, 4-H, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts for
  possible gardening projects. Youth groups that
  partner with complexes could be eligible for a
  youth grant for up to 400 through SARE. 
  Applications are due in January 2012, and if you
  have questions about SARE contact Ebert at 
  785-532-2976.

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Peoples Garden Website
http//www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid
PEOPLES_GARDEN
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Registering YOUR Peoples Garden Online 1
http//www.pubinfo.usda.gov/garden
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Registering YOUR Peoples Garden Online 2
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Registering YOUR Peoples Garden Online 3
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Start a Peoples Garden Today!
Peoples Garden Contacts
Aimee Omohundro USDA Rural Development 785-271-2726 aimee.omohundro_at_ks.usda.gov
Debra Staab RRHAK/Project Manager 785-628-2660 haysplaza_at_eaglecom.net
Tom Bishop Homestead Affordable Housing 785-364-0110 tom_at_homesteadks.org
David Coltrain KState Extension 785-325-2121 coltrain_at_ksu.edu
Shari Wilson KACEE 913-287-6879 swilson_at_kacee.org