[Community_garden] Community garden in SC

[Linda Casto]

Start by writing a business model.  Include the populations you wish to reach, the size of those populations and how you think you can reach them.  Set goals: 1 year, 3 year, 5 year.
   
  Check for any grants that might be available to cover your start up costs.  Most grants will require a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor.
   
  Check out any other fundraising opportunities.  Fundraising is more than funds, it's also service and goods.  Don't be afraid to be creative to meet the needs of your garden.
   
  Attend local counsel meetings and let them know what you are doing.  Contact your community newspapers and see if you can get them to run an article about your project, especially if you receive a grant.  Newspapers love stories about grant recipients.  See if your mayor or city manager has a department within the city that can work with you.  
   
  If the hospital where you work has an employee newsletter, get an article into that.  Find out if other employers in your area have employee newsletters and find out if they will run an announcement or article for you.
   
  To reach for the kids try contacting your local schools, churches and community organizations like Boy Scouts and YMCA.  You may also check to see if there is a Juvenile Restitution program in place in your area.  These would be youths who already have had some problems and need to complete community service hours.
   
  Take your garden development in steps, don't try to do everything the first year.  If you are primarily interested in youth - get the youth into the garden first, get experienced with the ins and outs of running a community garden, then bring other gardeners/programs into your garden.
   
  Attempting to do too many things at once can lead to failure.  Starting small and proving yourself builds good relationships and good publicity for your garden to build upon in following years.

  After your first successful year, visit a counsel meeting again and update them with your success.
  
"Dougherty, Natalie" <ndougherty at stfrancishealth.org> wrote:
  
I work with a local hospital system and have had the idea of having a community garden at our hospital for about a year. We have solicited some minor support from the community, but it might be rocky. I would like to develop the program for different populations, but would really like to the local middle and high school students primarily involved in it (to keep them out of the gangs). I have the land approved by our CEO - about ½ acre of land. How do I go about beginning the process, and getting additional buy-in from the community?







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