[Community_garden] Locking garden gates?

[William Hohauser]

On Jul 23, 2008, at 5:54 PM, Don Boekelheide wrote:

> 1. Making sure that the whole community knows that they are welcome  
> (if they don't rip things off), and discouraging the perception that  
> the community garden is one group "taking advantage" of public  
> resources for personal gain?

We have been locked nearly since the founding of the garden 25 years  
ago. In a once poor urban area, we would experience some bad vandalism  
and theft. Now that the area is gentrified beyond belief ($5000 per  
month one bedroom apts), we still have to keep the place locked when  
empty or the new rich party people come in and expect a servant to  
come clean up after them.

We post signs that explain the nature of the garden and when the  
garden gates are open. Most people understand once they see that the  
garden is built by volunteers from the community.

>
>
> 2. Addressing problems of rotting produce left by gardeners who  
> don't harvest (I liked Doreen's answer to this).

Gardeners who don't tend their plots are put on probation and then  
expelled if the situation isn't addressed.

>
>
> 3. Dealing with "inside" unauthorized harvesting?

We haven't figured a way to deal with this in all our years. How can  
it be proved without real evidence? Accusing people without evidence  
is a very good way to destroy a community garden.

>
>
> 4. Addressing problems of security- are gardens safer with locked  
> gates?

Yes. We don't have to worry about coming into the garden and finding a  
drug deal under way.

>
>
> 5. Dealing with hungry and impoverished people who see the food and  
> are tempted by it?

We try to direct them to the local food pantry which is getting less  
and less food these days. Seems the new rich in New York City have  
little money to help the unfortunate these days.


William Hohauser
Sixth Street and Avenue B Garden, NYC