Clark County Food Gardening Tool Kit:       A Guide to Growing Small Scale

Food Gardening Projects

Clark County Public Health’s Mission Our mission is your good health. Together we:

Prevent disease and injury Promote healthier choices Protect food, water, and air Prepare for emergencies.

We’re always working for a safer and healthier community.

For more information about the Garden Toolkit contact: Clark County Public Health P.O. Box 9825 Vancouver, WA 98666-8825 Phone: (360) 397-8000 x7218 Email: Public.Health@clark.wa.gov Website: www.communitygrown.org

This gardening toolkit was written by Tricia Pace, RD, IBCLC, Clark County Public Health with funding from Washington State

Contents

Preface About This Toolkit Introduction: Why Garden? Why Home Garden? Why Square Foot Garden? Part One: How to Create a Food Garden Project:

Step 1: The People; Partners, Participants, and Mentors Step 2: The Places: Where to Site Garden Projects Step 3: The Products: Materials, Beds, and Plants Step 4: The Process: Timelines, Guidelines, and Templates Step 5: The Party: Celebrating the Harvest Step 6: Project Evaluation

Part Two: A Garden Primer Part Three: Resources: Local Gardening Education and Information Resources General Gardening Education and Information sites Book List Potential Funding Opportunities Appendix: Coalition Building 10 Steps to Starting a Community Garden Coordinator Outline Attachments: Participant Letter of Invitation Participant Covenant/Landlord Agreement Participant Pre/post Survey Plant Request Forms Mentor Letter of Invitation Mentor Agreement Invitation to Harvest Celebration Certificates of Participation, Appreciation, and /or Recognition References: Acknowledgements:

Preface

Welcome to the Clark County Food Gardening Toolkit; a guide to growing successful small scale food gardening projects. This guide is a result of our experiences in supporting families with limited resources enjoy more fresh produce through home gardening. The bountiful gardens of delicious, nutritious fruits and vegetables exceeded all of our expectations. But what also grew were individual self-esteem and resourcefulness, family bonding, and stronger communities. The initial ten family pilot has evolved into Vancouver-Clark Community Grown with hundreds of residents benefiting from the practical and wonderful events that occur when people connect with nature and with each other. Growing food gardens begins to address two of the most significant public health issues affecting us today: chronic disease and environmental degradation. Increased physical activity and eating more fruits and vegetables are key to healthier, happier citizens. Growing one’s own food reduces trips to the store to buy commercially grown, transported, packaged and stored food that uses so much energy and causes a lot of pollution. Tending the land as organic food gardens improves and protects our personal and environmental health. We hope that this guide inspires and supports the creation of many food gardening projects and programs across Clark County and beyond.

About This Toolkit

This tool kit was designed using lessons learned by Clark County Public Health to help individuals and organizations develop food gardening projects. Included are guidelines, suggestions, resources, and templates to assist and enhance those efforts. The toolkit is divided into four sections. The introduction briefly discusses some of the general benefits of gardening with a focus on home scale food gardens. Part 1 details steps to developing gardening projects. Part 2 is a garden primer with basic gardening information Part 3 lists local and internet resources for information, education, events, potential funding opportunities and a book list for further reading. The appendix and attachments offer guidelines and templates we found useful in our projects. Comments or suggestions for improving this toolkit are welcomed and appreciated. Please direct those to Clark County Public Health at Public.Health@clark.wa.gov .

Why Gardening?

Food costs are high, food safety is questionable, and food security is an issue for many residents. Most of us would like to eat better and get more exercise. Gardening is a fun, creative, economic way to address some of these problems and more. The National Gardening association estimates that a well-maintained garden may yield an average of $500 of food per year. Food grown in a local garden is more likely to be fresher, more nutritious, and with less risk of contamination. Gardening increases outdoor physical activity associated with the prevention of multiple chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, adult-onset diabetes, and high blood pressure. Research shows that gardeners are often happier, healthier people who are better able to handle the ups and downs of life. Gardening creates a connection of people with the natural

world which increases our respect for our environment and reminds us how our actions really do make a difference.

Why Home Gardening?

Home gardening provides healthy physical activity and fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for all who put in a little effort. Growing produce at home means no plot rent or transportation costs to get to a garden somewhere else. The time saved on the road means more time in your home garden which is also more likely to be healthy and beautiful because you’ll see it several times everyday. At home, the whole family can be involved; the little ones can learn to help and

there is no need for child care. Relatives and neighbors can offer help and advice from their own gardening experiences. Small garden beds can also be heightened or put on tabletops so people with physical limitations can join in as well. Think of the great potlucks you can share with friends, neighbors, and extended family.

Why Square Foot Gardening?

Square Foot Gardening (SFG) is a unique gardening concept developed by Mel Bartholomew over 30 years ago. Small, sturdy raised beds filled with a top quality planting mix and gridded into one foot squares are the basis for efficient, economic, simplified gardening. Mel estimates that 100% of the produce from a traditional garden can be grown in 20% of the space in a square foot garden. He further calculates that a square foot garden uses only 10% of the water, 5% of the seeds, 2% of the effort, and leaves the gardener with 0% of the weeds! This system is a boon to those with limited time or money and little gardening knowledge or experience. Our projects found the SFG method to be easy to teach, productive, and rewarding for our participants. For further information read The All New Square Foot Gardening Book or check out the website at www.squarefootgardening.com

The Waltons had great production from their 4’ x 8’ square foot garden.

How to Create a Successful Food Gardening Project Creating a successful small scale food gardening project is a lot of fun…and quite a bit of work. The steps below helped us plan, implement, and monitor our projects in an organized system that worked well for everyone involved.

Step 1: The People Developing a garden project is a people-intensive undertaking that requires enthusiasm, collaboration, knowledge, and time. Projects evolve due to the unique personalities and relationships that develop between the people who make it happen. Each contributor brings his or her own skills, talents, and ideas to create a successful outcome. Our folks were defined by the following categories: partners, participants, volunteers, mentors, and coordinators. The Partners: Partners are so important for a project bigger than a few gardens. Collaborating with others will give your project more exposure and increase its likelihood of success. Building a coalition with people or groups who share your goals combines resources to create a more powerful and effective force compared to working alone. For information on building a coalition see Appendix 1. Partners may be individuals, groups, or organizations. They’ll help you with many tasks from offering advice to providing supplies and labor. When looking for partners, carefully consider what your true needs are since projects can take on a life of their own and may lose their original intent. Partners may include:

• Community service organizations (Rotary, YWCA, Scouts, 4-H, etc.) • Schools (primary, middle, and high schools, tech schools, colleges) • Horticulture programs • WSU Extension • Churches • Businesses (garden shops, lumber yards, compost/recyclers, hardware stores) • Neighborhood associations • Gardening enthusiasts/experts (clubs, master gardeners, Beautiful Backyards, ) • Hospitals • Food banks • Government and non-governmental agencies • Parks and Recreation • Community centers • Volunteers (gardeners, laborers, organizers, etc.)

Our Story: Clark County Public Health formed a coalition with partners from a local high school horticulture program, a faith-based organization, and a master gardener program. Between us, we found funding and leadership, built, installed and filled raised beds, and bought vegetable starts, seeds, and basic gardening supplies. We connected participants with experienced gardeners who supported and educated them through the summer and we collected input and documented the progress all along. We celebrated with a fabulous harvest potluck taking time to recognize and honor everyone involved. We evaluated surveys and our findings were written up, presented, and published.

Vaughn Andersen, Teacher Duane Sich, Director Lewis & Clark High school Friends of the Carpenter

Bill Coleman, Master Gardener, with Aaron Glenn.

The Participants: The participants are the folks for whom you are creating the gardens. They will become the new gardeners who will tend and harvest their own raised beds. Be sure that your participants understand that the success of their garden depends on their efforts and consistent attention. Some of them may have gardening experience while others may never have turned a spade. Experience doesn’t matter but commitment does. Participants will depend on the target audience for your projects. They may include:

• Singles • Families • Children, teens or adults • Persons with disabilities • Students • Employees • People with limited resources • Immigrants • People who are homeless • People in recovery programs • People who want to improve their health

Noe working his soil.

Outreach to participants can be challenging depending on how your project is designed. Apartment-based projects serving tenants simplifies outreach by only talking to those residents. Recruiting participants from more varied or mobile groups takes planning, collaboration, and persistence. If your project will be reaching out to people with low incomes, working with Head Start, WIC, or schools with a high percentage of free and reduced lunch may be effective. When engaging specific groups, ask people from those groups to be on your coalition to ensure respectful, successful outreach efforts. Inviting potential participants to information meetings lets them to learn about the project and ask questions. Participants need to have a clear understanding of what signing up means so they’ll know what’s involved and how committed they are. Showing examples of the garden beds or posters of similar projects makes a project more real. If possible, ask previous participants to talk about their experiences. Serving fresh produce gives a taste of the possibilities. Salad greens, bread with herbed butter, and water flavored with cucumbers and mint is an easy, healthy menu. Sending letters of invitation and participant covenants enhances outreach and tracks interest. The participant covenant is a promise to tend the garden all season and reminds them that their garden’s success depends on their efforts. Templates for letters and covenants are in the Attachments.

The Mentors: A mentor is a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person, who often has a powerful influence on the recipient’s success. Mentors will educate and support participants from planting through harvesting and share ideas for using the produce. They will teach about composting, staking tomatoes, and protecting plants from critters and bad weather. Often mentors learn right along with participants. Match mentors with your gardeners early to give more time for getting to know each other and more effective teaching. Be mindful to match mentors with gardeners who live in the same areas when possible. Training mentors goes beyond assuring that they know enough about gardening. The group served will dictate what kinds of skills and qualities mentors need to have. Participants may have unique situations mentors need to understand so both will be comfortable. There may be language barriers, significant cultural differences, differing work ethics and/or different mores around home maintenance. For a mentor/mentoree relationship to succeed, personal and lifestyle differences cannot interfere.

Melissa Harris mentoring new gardeners at Central Park Place.

Expectations of garden mentors:

• Enthusiastic about their mentoring role • Non-judgemental towards others’ backgrounds, skills, abilities, or situations • Friendly, open, and willing to work with participants where they are • Ability to teach and provide gentle, constructive guidance • Dependable and reasonably available • Passionate and knowledgeable about organic gardening

Recruiting enough qualified, dedicated mentors can be difficult. Mentors need not be “master gardeners” but must know about home-scale vegetable gardening. Training participants to become peer mentors is a way to avoid this potential problem in the future. Peer mentors have the advantage of being recently mentored themselves so they can readily pass on what did and did not work for them. Recruit mentors via letters, phone calls, and posting notices in local gardening publications and on the internet. Possible places to find mentors may be:

• WSU’s Master Gardener program • Clark County’s Naturally Beautiful Backyards program • Local Garden Clubs • Center for Agriculture and Science Environmental Education (CASEE) Center • Community Gardens • Horticulture Programs • Gardening friends and family • Volunteer services request

The Volunteers: Few projects succeed without dedicated, passionate, reliable volunteers. A volunteer is someone who willingly works for others or the enviroment because they choose to do so without being motivated by money or gifts. For many, the emotional benefits of giving of themselves are satisfying, fulfilling, and sometimes healing. For a rewarding volunteer experience, be sure that your project is well organized and that volunteers are given specific, meaningful and timely tasks. Volunteers can help in many ways including:

• Outreach assistance (phone calls, presentations, letter writing) • Labor (building and installing the beds, mixing soil) • Running errands (picking up and delivering materials, lunch, etc.) • Providing child care during meetings • Administrative support (distributing & retrieving surveys, tallying data, etc.)

The Coordinator: The coordinator is the one who pulls all the people, places, and things together into a common action or effort. This is a big role with many responsibilities. This position may be shared with a clear division of tasks to keep it manageable. The coordinator(s) need not be an expert gardener but must understand all phases of your project and be able to get along well with everyone involved. Respectis earned by being well organized, assuring timely delivery of materials and supplies, and treating others’ time, talents, and skills respectfully. A general coordinator outline is found in the appendix.

Step 2: The Places

Where to Site your Projects One of the many beauties of small raised garden beds is their adaptability—one can fit into the tiniest postage-stamp yard or a group of them can fill a field. Your project may be one bed per home in a neighborhood or a cluster o beds in the common area of an apartment complex. Schools may choose to group beds around the campus while worksites may line their walkways. Parks and Recreation is a great connection for large projects in public spaces. The places you choose are as varied as the projects you design. The following are options to consider:

• Single homes/duplexes • Apartment complexes • Assisted Living facilities • Residential Treatment

Centers • Child Care Centers • Churches • Work sites • Correctional Facilities • Neighborhoods • Food Banks

• Community Centers ABC & 123 Preschool’s garden • Hospitals • Libraries • Parks • Vacant lots /Parking Strips • Storefronts/Businesses

Once you decide on your participant group, the next step is to find a convenient location, preferably within wagon-dragging distance for everyone. It’s hard to beat the convenience of one’s own yard but the size and mission The gardens at Aurora Place

of your project may mean creating a community garden rather than individual home gardens. After you’ve found your spot, you’ll need to figure out where on that place to put the beds. This, and lots of other basic gardening information, is found in Part 3: A Garden Primer.

Step 3: The Products: Supplies, Materials, and Plants Books and Supplies The basis of our gardening project is found in Mel Bartholomew’s book All New Square Foot Gardening; Grow More in Less Space. We chose it because of its simple, efficient, and economic gardening methods and its easy, detailed instructions on building beds and how and why to make the planting mix. It is written in an easy-to-read format with many colorful pictures, helpful charts, and a glossary. The book is available in bookstores or may be ordered in bulk. See resources for information. We kept supplies few and simple to show that gardening doesn’t have to be expensive. Our gardener’s kit included the book, a kneeling pad, a trowel, and gardening gloves for each family member. Excluding the book, all supplies were bought at local gardening centers for about $10-$15 per family depending on how many pairs of gloves they needed. Through the generosity of a local organization, many supplies were donated. Materials for the Beds: Our raised beds were made of untreated 2” x 6” cedar boards. Other woods will work and are less expensive but cedar lasts longer so is cheaper than replacements over time. It is NOT recommended to use pressure treated wood because chemicals might leach into to soil and be taken up by some plants. We used metal corner brackets to secure, square, and strengthen the boxes. Screwing the corners to stakes hammered into the ground added extra support. All of our beds were 4’x 8’ for consistency and simplicity. We doubled the 4’x 4’ beds promoted by “All New Square Foot Gardening” so gardeners had more growing space. The size of the beds can easily be adapted to your project designs and spaces. For one of our participants with a back injury, we stacked extra boards to make it higher. Table-top beds can also be built or bought for people with physical limitations. We used the weed cloth recommended in the book at first, but then chose to use newspapers and cardboard instead. These are free and break down overtime by worms and other bugs. Cardboard and newspapers are very effective weed barriers under soil and reusing them in this way keeps them out of the landfill.

Make grids that divide the beds into one foot squares. Our grids were made of 1 inch lath which is cheap and available in bundles of 50 from most lumber yards. Grids can also be made of sticks, bamboo, or even string strung from nails in the tops of the sides. If the garden is not divided like this, then it is NOT a square foot garden (SFG). We found the SFG method to be easy and very productive for our participants.

Heather proudly displaying her new square foot garden. We partnered with Friends of the Carpenter (FOC), a local faith-based organization who uses wood working as a means of outreach. For a set fee, FOC provided wood, hardware, and labor for building and installing our beds. This was a win/win partnership which made our first project possible and provided income for a worthy organization. Donations of wood, hardware, and volunteer labor could lower project costs.

Jeff and Dennis of FOC installing yet another fine garden.

Materials for the Planting Mixture: After the first year using a commercial garden soil mix, we decided to follow the planting mix recipe in Mel’s book, All New Square Foot Gardening. His premise is to not waste time, money, and effort on making poor soil good, but instead start from the beginning with a great planting mix. The recipe for “Mel’s Mix” is equal parts peat moss, vermiculite, and a blend of five different kinds of compost. Peat moss aerates and lightens the mixture. Vermiculite’s role is to hold moisture but proper watering will assure your plants get enough. We used half the recommended amount to reduce costs. The most important component is the blend of composts. Using a blend provides a better mix of nutrients so you won’t need to add fertilizer. For big projects, mixing a yard of commercial compost in with bags of specific composts like mushroom, forest floor, and chicken or steer manure, makes a less expensive, well-rounded blend. Compost from kitchen waste is all the future amendment home gardens will need. See more about composting in the Garden Primer. We followed the instructions for making Mel’s Mix on site. Premixing large batches off site, then bagging it to be delivered to the gardens may cut time and decrease mess. Jeff and Dennis preparing planting mixture.

The Plants: Most of our plants came from Lewis & Clark High School’s horticulture program. Be sure to order early so plants have time to grow. Then, schedule installations so that starts are ready to be planted when they need to come out of the greenhouse. Plants from a greenhouse will need time to adapt to the outdoors through a process called hardening off. Read more about hardening off in the Garden Primer. Thriving plant starts in Lewis & Clark’s greenhouse We bought seeds and miscellaneous plants from local garden centers. Buy seeds on sale when possible, usually in late winter or early spring. Many seeds are good for several seasons so try old seeds as well. Choose disease-resistant plant varieties known to grow well in your area. Check the packet or tag for all kinds of information on plant needs.

Combination of plants from Lewis & Clark and a local garden center.

Step Four: The Process

Creating and implementing your first garden project can be quite involved. Below is a brief outline of how we did it. It is presented here as an outline for simplicity and clarity. Most of the activities are discussed in detail in the other sections of this toolkit and in the coordinator outline in the appendix. Some activities may occur in different order. For instance, does a coalition form around an idea to seek funding or does available funding determine the need for a coalition? Your own projects will dictate your steps.

10 Steps to Home-Scale Food Gardening Projects

1. Develop a general idea of what you want to do, for whom, and why 2. Secure funding and make a flexible, comprehensive budget 3. Build community buy-in; form a coalition if needed 4. Solicit, educate, and select all the players; match mentors with participants

a. Partners b. Participants c. Mentors d. Volunteers

5. Order plant starts & gather all materials 6. Organize, schedule and monitor installations; take pictures 7. Monitor through season to provide encouragement, support, and appreciation for

everyone involved; take lots more pictures and document progress 8. Plan and host a potluck celebration; take more pictures and thank everyone 9. Collect data and testimonials; evaluate and write up your project 10. Present project findings and experiences to any and all interested parties

Summer crop beds at Central Park Place

Step Five: The Celebration

The potluck celebration is the place for all to shine and share. For the gardeners, it is an opportunity to tell their stories, meet other gardeners, and to give back to the community by sharing their bounty of delicious produce. Mentors appreciate this time to enjoy the fruits of their mentorship. Organizers and partners come together in celebration of a project with results often beyond their initial goals and objectives. Celebrations are detail-intensive so enlist the support of volunteers and delegate tasks among them. Begin planning the celebration by mid-summer. Find a central place with a kitchen and plenty of room to accommodate your guests and reserve it early. The Clark PUD community room was a great venue for our largest celebration. Community rooms at apartment complexes or churches may be better options for some projects. Be sure to include everyone on the guest list: funders, officials, managers, directors, landlords, and business owners in addition to all gardeners, mentors, and volunteers. Send invitations at least three weeks in advance. Be sure that gardeners and mentors know to bring dishes made with produce from their gardens. To round out our menu, we provided bread, herb butter, desserts of locally grown fruit, and water flavored with mint and cucumbers. An invitation sample is included in the attachments. Fun, informative displays can be made with pictures, and quotes from gardeners and mentors. We posted ours on tri-fold posters to stand alone. Laminating with clear contact paper is an inexpensive, effective way to preserve posters for future displays. Awarding certificates of accomplishment and appreciation acknowledges individual efforts and contributions. When possible and appropriate, invite the media to cover your celebration. Take lots of pictures to document the event and for future presentations.

Ashley helping out at the 2007 potluck celebration.

Step Six: The Evaluation

Evaluating your project will provide much useful information to guide you in future projects. Input from participants and mentors is invaluable. How else will you know what worked, what didn’t, what was missing, and what could have been better? Information about connections made during the project may lead to partnerships in the future which can cut costs, increase participation, and ease the process. Since most funding is driven by data reflecting a need or results, it is very important to plan what information you want to collect and collect it in a way that you will give answers to your questions. We used a pre/post survey to gather baseline data to compare and measure changes in participants’ gardening knowledge and skill levels as well as in their physical activity and nutrition. Soliciting both short and long answers provides a wealth of data from which to measure your success. Our mentors also completed surveys at the end to provide input on the process and to rate their satisfaction with participation. Data can be compiled into reports for your funders, partners, and participants to illustrate project outcomes. The data from our projects was written into a report, and abstract, and articles for the newspaper and a professional journal. We pulled it all into a logic model which is a one-page illustration of a project from beginning to end. See our logic model in the appendix.

A Garden Primer This primer was written to give you basic gardening information but the knowledge and wisdom of experienced gardeners is invaluable. We strongly encourage you to seek the advice of many fine gardening experts in your communities and of those listed in the resources section.

Where to Plant: Site, Soil, Water, and Safety

Site All plants need sun, some more than others. The amount of sunlight depends on the type of plant. Large flowering or fruiting plants need twelve-plus hours of sunlight per day. These plants are referred to as “warm weather plants” or “summer crops” and include tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, melons, potatoes, and sunflowers. “Cool weather crops” are those which grow well spring and fall. They grow with less sun but still need at least eight hours per day to thrive and produce. Cool weather crops include spinach, lettuces, other greens, radishes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and garlic. If a garden with cool weather plants gets too much sun—especially true for south or west facing beds--build shade barriers or plant sun-sensitive plants in the shade of larger sun-loving plants. Trees and shrubs will block sun so don’t put beds too near these. Young trees and shrubbery may not cause shade now but might in a few years. Also, larger plants will suck up water and nutrients from young starts and seeds. Try to put the garden on flat or slightly sloping ground in well-drained soil so it is easier to level and won’t sit in a puddle which will be messy and cause rot. Slight southern slopes are usually a great location for maximizing sun. If the sunniest site is on a hillside, be creative with terracing. Retaining walls can provide stable support and are a great spot for pockets of herbs, or for trailing flowers or vining vegetables to hang over. Soil The best garden soil is loose enough so roots can grow freely, drains well yet retains moisture, is slightly acidic (pH between 6.2 -7.0), and provides lots of nutrients for healthy plant growth. For in-ground gardens, amendments may be needed to improve the soil’s balance of nutrients and texture. Adding organic matter, or compost, will create a balanced, crumbly soil that water and air can easily move through so roots can grow easily. Learn more about making your own compost in the “how to” section. Raised beds should be filled with a light, nutrient-rich mixture so young plants have what they need to thrive. Water Water is as important as sun and soil for healthy plants so site gardens near a water source. Larger, community gardens need to be close to several spigots and have agreements in place

with city or county authorities for billing. Teach community gardeners about any security or safety systems so they can get water when they need it. Put home gardens near a faucet if possible and keep hoses, watering cans, or buckets nearby. Be careful when dragging hoses around since they can easily damage plants. More about watering plants is covered in the “how to” section. Safety Gardens should be in well marked areas safely away from busy streets. They should also be a good distance away from industrial areas or factories that may contaminate nearby water, air, or soil. Planting a community garden adds significantly to the beauty, pride, and safety of neighborhoods.

What to Plant

Hardiness Zones/Heat Zones Gardeners should plant what they want to eat but it doesn’t always work out that way. Climate and elevation play a key role in determining which plants will grow where. To decrease frustration and waste by trial and error, plant hardiness zones, or climate zones, were set up by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a guide to help determine which plants grow best in what climates. Hardiness zones show the lowest average temperature it will get in each zone every year with Zone 1 being the coldest and Zone 11 being the warmest. Southwest Washington is mostly in Climate Zone 8. The criteria for these zones will vary even within a few miles due to natural conditions such as altitude, wind, humidity, and heat. There is also a heat zone map based on the average number of days the temperature is 86 degrees or more. Eighty-six degrees is the temperature at which plants begin suffering damage to their branches and leaves. Southwest Washington is in Heat Zone 4, having 14-30 days hotter than 86 degrees. Heat Zone, like Hardiness Zone also is affected by other conditions but the biggest problem with heat is water supply. Warm weather crops can take more direct heat and usually aren’t damaged until temperatures reach 95 degrees but ALL plants need lots of water in severe heat. Always keep a check on the water needs of your plants, especially those in raised beds and containers. Knowing the hardiness and heat zones helps gardeners choose plants and seeds that do well in their areas. This information is often included on seed packs or with planting instructions. Experience over time will help gardeners learn what will thrive in their gardens. Selecting Seeds Buy quality, disease-resistant seeds from a reliable dealer and shop early for best selection and sales. Seed packets offer important planting information and often a drawing or photo of mature plants which is very helpful to new gardeners. Sharing seeds with others is a fun, educational, and free way to increase your gardening knowledge and bounty.

New seeds may have better germination rates, but seeds that were saved and stored properly will be good for several years. Never save seed from hybrid plants because over time they will produce inferior plants. Examples of some hybrid plants are eggplant, bell peppers, broccoli, and most corn. Below is a table of typical storage lives assuming seeds are kept cool, dark, and dry.

Storage Life of Most Seeds 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years Onions Chives Beans Cauliflower Collards Parsley Corn Broccoli Heirloom tomatoes Cucumber Spinach Hot peppers Cabbage Kale Lettuce

Carrots Pumpkin Celery Radishes Marigolds Squash Peas Swiss Chard Watermelon

Selecting Plants Vegetable plants, also known as starts, are often the only chance for long-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli. Buy plant starts sales hosted by horticulture programs, nurseries, or garden centers of variety stores. Choose plants that are strong, straight, and deep green without yellowing or insect damage. Plants bought from outside stands will be ready to go in the ground but those from a green house or windowsill will need time to slowly adjust to the outside. Abrupt temperature changes can shock, stunt, or even kill tender plants. Helping plants adjust to the outside is called “hardening off” and is further explained in the planting section. Think about the mature size of the plants you’re choosing for your garden beds. In large, in-ground plots space isn’t too much of a problem, but smaller raised beds can quickly become jungles. Two zucchinis will overtake a small bed. Seed packets and most plant starts will have information on mature size and whether or not plants will need to be supported with stakes, cages, or trellises.

When to Plant

Starting early increases production and variety of a garden. In our area, many cool season crops can be planted in early spring when the soil temperature is around 50 degrees. Warm season crops won’t do well until the ground is above 60 degrees. Seed packets, plant labels and experienced gardeners can give guidance on planting times. Planting early, mid-season, and late crops is called succession planting. Well timed succession plantings provide a steady supply of produce from spring through fall and helps lessen bumper crop madness.

How to Plant

There are several ways to plant a garden; the method chosen depends on the layout. For large, in-ground plots, single-row furrows or wide row plantings are most typical. Seed packets or planting guides will tell you how far apart to plant. Some gardens may include hill plantings where vining plants like squash and cucumbers are planted in small hills to allow the roots to spread out and the vine to grow freely. The hills are planted with 4-6 seeds. Once growing, thin the starts to no more than three plants. Our projects used raised beds which were filled with a special soil mix and overlaid with a grid that divided them into one foot squares. The squares were then planted with one, four, nine, or sixteen seeds or plants depending on how big the plant would be when mature. All the information needed for this type of planting is found in “The All New Square Foot Gardening” book by Mel Bartholomew. See the resources section for information on Mel’s book. The depth seeds are planted depends on their size. Small seeds should be lightly covered with ¼” of soil. Larger seeds should be planted the depth that is about ½ of the seed’s width. Seed packets and planting tags will provide information on planting. All seeds should be kept moist during their germination period. Seeds are ready to plant when soil reaches the right temperature: 50 degrees for cool season plants and 60 degrees or more for warm season plants. Dig a small hole, put in one or two seeds, cover lightly with soil and water well. While most instructions tell you to over plant, then thin, why not plant only what you need in the first place? This will save time, work, and seeds. No need to plant something only to pull it up two weeks later. Starts bought from outdoor stands are ready to go in the ground. Those bought from greenhouses or started indoors need to be “hardened off” before planting by gradually exposing them to the outside. Begin to harden off your plants about a week before their transplant date which is found on the seed packet or with planting instructions. Set plants out in a protected, shady spot during the day and bring them in at night and if the weather turns cold, windy, or rainy. Leave them out a bit longer each day so that by the end of the week, they’ll be tough enough to bask in the sunshine all day. Transplant seedlings into the garden on an overcast, even misty day if possible, to ease the shock of moving from the pot to ground. Consider companion planting which is based on the idea that certain plants do better in the company of certain other plants. One plant may benefit another by enriching the soil with nutrients or by improving conditions above ground like the shade produced by a tall, sun-loving plant for a low-growing cooler plant. A companion planting chart is found below: ng? Some plants do better when in the company of other plants. Companion planting is using this knowledge to increase plant performance both as insect control and to take advantage of the sym biotic relationships between plants. plant varieties and cropping practices.

Table 1. COMPANION PLANTING CHART FOR HOME & MARKET GARDENING (compiled from traditional literature on companion planting)

CROP COMPANIONS INCOMPATIBLE

Asparagus Tomato, Parsley, Basil

Beans Most Vegetables & Herbs

Beans, Bush Irish Potato, Cucumber, Corn, Strawberry, Celery, Summer Savory Onion

Beans, Pole Corn, Summer Savory, Radish Onion, Beets, Kohlrabi, Sunflower

Cabbage Family Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beets, Onion Family, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard

Dill, Strawberries, Pole Beans, Tomato

Carrots English Pea, Lettuce, Rosemary, Onion Family, Sage, Tomato Dill

Celery Onion & Cabbage Families, Tomato, Bush Beans, Nasturtium

Corn Irish Potato, Beans, English Pea, Pumpkin, Cucumber, Squash Tomato

Cucumber Beans, Corn, English Pea, Sunflowers, Radish Irish Potato, Aromatic Herbs

Eggplant Beans, Marigold

Lettuce Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber

Onion Family Beets, Carrot, Lettuce, Cabbage Family, Summer Savory Beans, English Peas

Parsley Tomato, Asparagus

Pea, English Carrots, Radish, Turnip, Cucumber, Corn, Beans

Onion Family, Gladiolus, Irish Potato

Potato, Irish Beans, Corn, Cabbage Family, Marigolds, Horseradish

Pumpkin, Squash, Tomato, Cucumber, Sunflower

Pumpkins Corn, Marigold Irish Potato

Radish English Pea, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumber Hyssop

Spinach Strawberry, Favba Bean

Squash Nasturtium, Corn, Marigold Irish Potato

Tomato Onion Family, Nasturtium, Marigold, Asparagus, Carrot, Parsley, Cucumber

Irish Potato, Fennel, Cabbage Family

Turnip English Pea Irish Potato http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/complant.html#chart (companion planting chart)

Watering There is an art to watering well: not enough and plants will stunt, shrivel, and die. Too much and they’ll rot or die from lack of oxygen. Plants like sun-warmed so keep a bucket full nearby and refill it after each watering to be ready next time. Warm water gets a little deeper into the soil so more quickly increases the soil temperature and helps plants absorb nutrients faster in spring and late fall. Water the roots only by lifting the leaves and slowly pouring water directly into the ground. This way water goes where it is most needed and reduces the risks of fungal infections in plants. Overhead watering drenches some plants with too much water while others don’t get enough. Also, the gardener is too far away to closely check out the plants for any problems. Besides, hoses will hurt plants if they are dragged over them. If you must use a hose, have a shut off valve for the end and an extension hand wand with a spray nozzle. This helps direct the water under the leaves to the roots, thus keeping most of the plant dry. Keep the hose coiled in the sun but be careful that the water is not too hot for use. Drip systems can be very efficient when they deliver water when and where it is needed but they may also be expensive. Seeds and seedlings need consistent moisture until well-established. Spring rains will take care of some days but gardeners need to keep watch for signs of under- or over-watering. Over-watering is the more common problem. Too much water causes stems to wilt, leaves to turn yellow, and mold to grow. Over-watered plants may appear to need water because their stems wilt and their leaves may turn yellow and fall off. Check the soil! If it’s wet, don’t water again until it has dried out a bit. Once growing well, water needs will vary depending on size, season, weather, and growth demands of individual plants. New gardeners will gain confidence about watering—and everything else--with experience.

Protecting the garden Your garden is a living labor of love that will need protection at times. The most common harmful elements will be weather and critters. In all the excitement of spring planting, we sometimes forget frosts are still likely. The average last day of frost for Vancouver is April 12. The “Safe Date”, the day on which nine of the ten previous years the last frost had already occurred, is May 14. There is only a 10% chance of a frost after this date. Covering your tender young plants can save them from frost damage. Cloth and paper work well for covers; use plastic as a last resort. Try cloth shower curtains, old blankets, pillow cases for tall plants, newspapers, or tarps. Drape covers over supports and secure tightly in case of high winds. Water plants well before covering since water carries heat from the ground upwards into the plant. Remember to remove covers the next day-especially plastic covers which can create a hothouse effect and overheat plants.

Wind and hail can also cause a lot of damage to your garden. When possible, put you garden beds in the most protected site that still receives plenty of sun. Solid walls are the best protection against strong winds. Temporary barriers made of hay bales can provide some wind protection and simple but sturdy tent structures can be effective against winds and hail. Animals can be another cause of damage to your garden. Deer, rabbits and squirrels are notorious for devouring young starts from above while moles and voles can feast and destroy from below. Dogs can accidentally trample the garden while cats may find it an exceptional litter box. Fencing from above and below can be very effective against all these creatures while still allowing for sun, water, and attention to reach your plants. Check with other experienced gardeners and in the resources section for more ideas and information on protecting your garden.

Diseases and Pests The healthier your garden is, the fewer problems it will have with pests and disease. Growing your plants in a sunny location in healthy soil and giving them the right amount of water will go far in promoting a thriving, verdant garden. Close attention to your garden each day will let you catch and address problems early. Early signs of disease include spotting, discoloration, and changes in plant structure like curling leaves or wilting stems. For accurate identification and what to do, seek the advice of an expert gardener such as a master gardener from WSU. There are both good and bad garden insects. The goal is to attract and retain the good bugs while keeping the bad bugs away. Beneficial insects help gardens by eating harmful pests, pollinating plants, composting and improving soil, and by being food for birds and other animals that also eat pests. Attract common beneficial bugs like bees, dragonflies, and ladybugs by planting flowers, having a water source nearby, and by leaving some of your yard “wild” to create a safe home for insects. See resources for “Bugs and Pests: The Good, The Bad, and the Downright Ugly”, a handy identification and information brochure produced by Clark County Solid Waste and WSU Extension.

Harvesting Now comes the happiest part of gardening: harvesting your beautiful, delicious, nutritious produce. The key to harvesting is timing. If picked too soon, vegetables can be tough or soft, and lacking in taste and nutrients. If picked too late, again they may be tough and fibrous or too soft and mushy with an off or bland taste. Weather is the determining factor affecting plant maturity. Many sunny days can ripen some plants early while cooler, rainy weather may delay or prevent ripening at all (think green tomatoes) Information about typical days to maturity is generally listed on seed packets. Harvest tables, like the one on the next page, are also a helpful guideline. Taste, texture, and experience will guide you in harvesting the perfect prize.

Vegetable Part Eaten Too Early Optimum Too Late Artichoke, Globe Immature bloom Flower buds small When buds are 2"

to 4" in diameter Buds large with scales or bracts loose

Asparagus Stem Insufficient length , 1*

6" to 8" long; no fiber

Excess woody fiber in stem

Beans, Lima Seed Insufficient bean size

Bright green pod; seed good size

Pods turned yellow; ok for dried beans

Beans, Pole Green Pod and seed Insufficient size, 1* Bean cavity full; seed ¼ grown

Seed large; pods fibrous; ok for dried beans

Beans, Snap Bush Pod and seed Insufficient size , 1*

Pods turgid; seeds just visible

Pods fibrous; seed large

Beets Root and leaves Insufficient size , 1*

Roots 2" to 3" in diameter

Roots pithy; strong taste

Broccoli Immature bloom Insufficient size , 1*

Bright green color; bloom still tightly closed

Head loose; some blooms beginning to show

Brussels Sprouts Head Insufficient size; hard to harvest , 1*

Bright green; tight head

Head loose; color change to green yellow

Cabbage Head Insufficient leaf cover , 1*

Heads firm; leaf tight

Leaf loose; heads cracked open

Cantaloupes Fruit Stem does not want to separate from fruit

Stem easily breaks away clean when pulled

Background color of melon is yellow; rind soft

Carrots Root Insufficient size , 1*

½" to ¾" at shoulder

Strong taste; oversweet

Cauliflower Immature bloom Head not developed , 1*

Head compact; fairly smooth

Curds open; separate

Celery Stems Stem too small , 1* Plant 12" to 15" tall; stem medium thick

Seed stalk formed; bitterness

Collards & greens Leaf Insufficient leaf size, 1*

Bright green color; small midrib

Midrib large; fibrous

Corn, Sweet Grain Grain watery; small ; BABY CORN, 1*

Grain plump; liquid in milk stage

Grain starting to dent; liquid in dough stage

Cucumber Fruit Insufficient size , 1*

Skin dark green; seeds soft

Skin beginning to yellow; seeds hard

Eggplant Fruit Insufficient size , 1*

High glossy skin; side springs back when mashed

Seeds brown; side will not spring back when mashed

Lettuce, Head Leaves Head not fully formed , 1*

Fairly firm; good size

Heads very hard

Okra Pod Insufficient size, 1* 2" to 3" long; still tender

Fiber development; pods tough

Onions, Dry Bulb Tops all green Tops yellow; ¾ fallen over

All tops down; bulb rot started

Peas, English Seed Peas immature and too small to shell ; EDIBLE PODS, 1*

Peas small to medium; sweet bright green

Pods yellow; peas large

Peas, Southern (green)

Seed and pod Peas immature and too small to shell ; EDIBLE IMMATURE POD, 1*

Seeds fully developed but still soft; pods soft

Seeds hard; pods dry

Pepper, Green Bell Pod Pod thin and small, 1*

Tick walled and green to some red

Pod shrivels

Pepper, Colored Bell

Pod Pods still light green and thin walled , 1*

Bright red/yellow etc. and firm

Pod shrivels

Potato, Irish Tuber Insufficient size, 1* When tops begin to die back

Damaged by freezing weather

Potato, Sweet Root Size small; immature; 1*

Most roots 2" to 3" in diameter

Early plantings get too large & crack; damaged by soil temperatures below 50°F

Radish/turnip roots Root Size too small, 1* Appropriate size for variety.

Pithy, strong flavor, hot taste, fibrous.

Soybeans, edible Seeds Seeds not developed

Pods thick; bright green

Pods yellowing/ dry; seed shatters out

Squash, Summer Fruit Insufficient size, 1* Rind can be penetrated by thumbnail

Penetration by thumbnail difficult; seed large

Squash, Winter Fruit Rind soft but can be used as summer squash, 1*

Rind difficult to penetrate by thumbnail

Damaged by frost

Tomatoes Fruit May be harvested in three stages:

Mature green – tomato firm, mature, color change from green to light green, no pink color showing on blossom end. Pink – pink color on blossom end half. These tomatoes, at room temperature, will ripen in 3-4 days. Expose to indirect light / don’t keep in the dark. Ripe – tomato full red but still firm. Should be used immediately or these tomatoes will store one to two weeks if kept 60 F. (Warm to room temp before using.)

Watermelon Fruit Flesh green; stem green and difficult to separate

Melon surface next to ground turns from light straw color to a richer yellow

Top surface has dull look

Some first time gardeners are so excited their plants are growing that they don’t want to pick them. But that’s the whole point! Harvesting produce for healthy meals and to share with friends is a true joy.

Preserving your Produce

Well-planned and cared for gardens produce a bounty of fruits and vegetables that sometimes overwhelm even the heartiest appetite. Preserving this abundance provides delicious summer-fresh taste in the dark of winter and can greatly reduce grocery bills. Preserved produce is also among the proudest of gifts to give and the most welcomed of gifts to receive. The most common methods of food preservation are drying, canning, and freezing. Successfully preserved foods retain their flavor, texture, and nutrients and remain safe to eat for a long time without contaminants or fermentation. For information and education about a variety of food preservation methods, check out local experts in the resources tab.

Putting your Garden to Bed

Putting your vegetable garden to bed for the winter properly will prepare it for an early and productive spring just a few short months away. The crops that are finished or have been killed by frost need to be removed and tossed into the compost pile. Be sure to gather up any decaying vegetables which may have hidden fungus and insect pests. Once all spent plants are cleaned up, layer on a few inches of compost and/or mulch of shredded leaves and work it into the soil. This organic matter will add nutrients and air to the soil in preparation for next year’s garden.

Resources Local gardening resources for education, information, plants, and events:

Clark County Food and Farm website http://clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com/2009/01/washougal-community-garden.html (local food and farm site with information, classes, events, and products) The Urban Farm School P. O. Box 393(?) Ridgefield, WA 98642 Kendra Pearce (360) 852-3728 Toree Hiebert (360) 907-5814 http://urbanfarmschool.wordpress.com/about-urban-farm-school/ (teaching people how to farm their urban/suburban land) Vancouver Food Network P.O. Box 249 Vancouver, WA 98666 (360) 694-3663 http://VancouverFood.Net (local food and gardening information, presentations, classes, and events, Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm information) Washington State University (WSU) Extension Center for Agriculture and Science Environmental Education (CASEE) Center 11104 NE 149th Street, 11104 NE 149th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606, 360-397-6060, Contact Us Brush Prairie, WA 98606 360-397-6060 x7718 gordonc@wsu.edu http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer/mg/plantClinic.html WSU’s home page for gardening info in Clark County http://gardening.wsu.edu/

WSU’s master gardener website with moderated forum for gardening discussions Clark County Public Works Naturally Beautiful Backyards/ Master Composter and Recycler Program 1300 Franklin Street Vancouver, WA 98660 (360) 397-6118

http://www.co.clark.wa.us/recycle/natural/index.html Naturally Beautiful Backyards program http://www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/yard/mastercomposter.html Master Composter and Recycler program http://www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/A-Z/Resources/CSEEC.html Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center Find a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm near you – www.swwa-csafarms.com

(CSAs sell shares to people who then receive a weekly allotment of fresh produce through the growing season)

Find a farm stand near you – http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/farms/locate_search.asp Find a local farmers’ market – http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/living/eating.html Battle Ground Farmers’ Market (Brenda Millar Stanton, Market Coordinator) SE Grace Avenue and SE Rasmussen Blvd., Battle Ground http://battlegroundfarmersmarket.com

www.battlegroundfarmersmarket.org (360) 576-9767 email is battlegroundfma@yahoo.com

Hours are 9-3 every Saturday through October 17th. Manor Farmers’ Market Evangelical Christian Church, 179th Street and 72nd Avenue, Battle Ground http://www.manorec.com Camas Farmers’ Market 5th Avenue between NE Birch and Cedar, Camas http://camasfarmersmarket.com Vancouver Farmers’ Market Esther Short Park, corner of Esther and 8th Streets, Vancouver

http://vancouverfarmersmarket.com/index.html Washougal Farmers’ Market Reflection Plaza Main and Pendleton Way, Washougal http://washougalfarmersmarket.com

Elementary School Gardens Camas Roots Garden

Growing Food, Minds, and Community www.camasroots.org

HomeLink School Gardens High School Horticulture programs: Columbia River High School 800 NW 99th Street, 98665

Fort Vancouver High School 5700 East 18th Street, 98661

Hudson’s Bay High School

1601 East McLoughlin Blvd., 98663

Lewis & Clark High School 2901 General Anderson Avenue, 98661

Skyview High School

1300 NW 139th Street, 98685

General gardening information websites

http://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/resources/resource_search.php?term=540 (UW’s Botanical Gardens info web site; gardening answers knowledge base and book lists)

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/vegetables.html (free internet guides to gardening) http://www.vegetable-gardening-basics.com/ (extensive information on vegetable gardening) http://www.helpfulgardener.com/vegetable/2003/vegetable.html (how to plan and grow a vegetable garden; links to vegetable forum) http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ (Official Square Foot Gardening website) http://www.heirloomseeds.com/ (comprehensive gardening information) http://growingtaste.com/ (comprehensive home vegetable gardening info) http://www.humeseeds.com/frost1.htm#WA (frost dates for Washington, Oregon, and Alaska ) http://extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06203.htm (common diseases in the home garden) http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/NRES/extension/factsheets/vc-11/VC-11.html (harvesting vegetables) http://growingtaste.com/storage.shtml (seed saving info) http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html (seed saving info) http://www.patriotfood.com/Seed_Saving.html (seed saving info)

Book List

Check with Library for these and other helpful gardening books. All New Square Foot Gardening: Growing More in Less Space

by Mel Bartholomew This is the second edition of Mel’s 1982 best selling gardening book. It gives the basics, instructions, and guidance for gardening by the square foot method plus planting information and multiple useful gardening tables.

The New Self-Sufficient Gardener

by John Seymour This is the definitive book on the "common-sensical" way to do things told in a homey, conversational way.

The Vegetable Garden

by M. M. Vilmorin-Andrieux This is a modern reprint of a wonderful book—lots of information of the cultivars of vegetables, including many you've never even heard of--first published in 1885 but still a valuable resource. Out of print, search for used.

The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields

by John Jeavons and Carol Cox 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden

by Dr. Carolyn J. Male She is the doyenne of heirloom-tomato experts.

The Heirloom Tomato

by Amy Goldman Another winner to follow her heirloom melons success..

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman

Growing veggies through the winter (and summer) in Maine. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners

by Suzanne Ashworth This is the definitive seed-saving and seed-starting manual--the one far and away most often recommended by seed houses.

Taylor’s Guide to Vegetables and Herbs by Norman Taylor et al This "pocket guide" is extraordinarily valuable because of its wonderful series of photographs of each vegetable and herb described; but the concise yet complete entries themselves are also quite useful in a summary way. (Out of print)

Guide to Heirloom Vegetables

by Benjamin Watson Like the item above, except, of course, focused on "heirloom" varieties.

Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings

by Tom Stobart This is an indispensable book to anyone interested in cooking with or in growing food flavorings.

The Big Book of Herbs

By Tom DeBaggio and Dr. Arthur Tucker A collaboration between an long-time recognized expert herb grower and one of the nation's foremost botanical experts on herbs, this book clarifies the muddy mess of modern herb classification and provides a wealth of detail on growing herbs.

Carrots Love Tomatoes

by Louise Riotte The most thorough guide available to "companion planting"--the idea that certain plants very much help or hinder the growth of certain other plants when the two are planted close together. No positive science that we know of, but a principle widely believed in by many wise, veteran gardeners.

Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

by Marshall Bradley, Barbara W. Ellis (Editor) It really is what its title says: an encyclopedia. No one article exhausts the possibilities of its subject, but it's sort of the Joy of Cooking of gardening--whatever you want to know about, there's at least some useful information in it.

The Backyard Berry Book

by Stella Otto Lots of handy, practical advice on how to grow berry plants of all sorts in your back yard; it covers quite a number of berry types, with some advice on cultivar selection.

The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto Lots of handy, practical advice on how to grow fruit trees of all sorts in your back yard; it covers quite a number of types, with some advice on cultivar selection.

Let It Rot!

by Stu Campbell "The Gardener's Guide to Composting"--and that is pretty much what it is, a sound, basic handbook on this subject of vital importance to every serious home vegetable gardener.

Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing & Storing Vegetable & Flower Seeds

by Marc Rogers, Ben Watson (Editor), Polly Alexander (Illustrator)

Potential Grant Sources/Opportunities Gardening projects are often funded by grants, individually or collaboratively with partners. Below are sites for potential funding sources. http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer/mg/foundation.html

WSU Master Gardener Foundation

http://www.whf.org/Grants/HSINGrants.aspx

Washington Health Foundation—currently grants for rural areas only

http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/OHP/community-grants.htm

DOH/ Office of Health Promotion community block grants

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/grants/Pages/search.aspx

Dedicated to the idea that all people should have healthy, productive lives

http://attra.ncat.org/guide/index.html USDA Building Better Rural Places/funding grants that focus on nutrition and health

http://www.rwjf.org/grants/

Robert Wood Johnson foundation focuses on health disparities and obesity prevention

http://wkkf.org W. K. Kellogg foundation focuses on promoting health, happiness, and well-being of children around the world.

http://www.aecf.org/AboutUs/GrantInformation.aspx

Annie E. Casey Foundation focuses on meeting the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families through grants to help states, cities and neighborhoods create innovative, cost-effective responses to those needs.

Appendix 1 Coalition Building: Spangler, Brad. "Coalition Building." Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: June 2003 <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/coalition_building/>.

Coalition Building

By Brad Spangler June 2003

What is Coalition Building?

A coalition is a temporary alliance or partnering of groups in order to achieve a common purpose or to engage in joint activity.[1] Coalition building is the process by which parties (individuals, organizations, or nations) come together to form a coalition. Forming coalitions with other groups of similar values, interests, and goals allows members to combine their resources and become more powerful than when they each acted alone.[2]

Why is Coalition Building Important?

The "ability to build coalitions is a basic skill for those who wish to attain and maintain power and influence."[3] Through coalitions, weaker parties to a conflict can increase their power. Coalition building is the "primary mechanism through which disempowered parties can develop their power base and thereby better defend their interests."[4] Coalitions may be built around any issue and at any scale of society, from neighborhood issues to international conflict.

The formation of a coalition can shift the balance of power in a conflict situation and alter the future course of the conflict. People who pool their resources and work together are generally more powerful and more able to advance their interests, than those who do not. Coalition members may be able to resist certain threats or even begin to make counter threats. Generally, low-power groups are much more successful in defending their interests against the dominant group if they work together as a coalition. This is certainly more effective than fighting among themselves and/or fighting the dominant group alone.[5]

Environmental groups in the United States have long understood the power of coalitions. Rather than taking on powerful industries on their own, leading environmental groups have often formed coalitions to challenge big business in the ballot box, at the legislature, and in the courts. They have succeeded in getting environmental candidates elected, and strong environmental protection laws passed. Without having many environmental groups working together, industry would have had a much stronger hand in the fight over environmental protection in the U.S.

How Do You Build a Successful Coalition?

Building a successful coalition involves a series of steps. The early steps center on the recognition of compatible interests. Sometimes this happens naturally. Other times potential coalition members must be persuaded that forming a coalition would be to their benefit. To do this one needs to demonstrate

1. that your goals are similar and compatible, 2. that working together will enhance both groups' abilities to reach their goals, and 3. that the benefits of coalescing will be greater than the costs.

This third point can be demonstrated in either of two ways: incentives can be offered to make the benefits of joining the coalition high, or sanctions can be threatened, making the costs of not joining even higher. For example, the United States offered a variety of financial aid and political benefits to countries that joined its coalition against Iraq in 2003; it also threatened negative repercussions

for those who failed to join, and much worse for those who sided with Saddam Hussein. Another method that can make joining the coalition appealing is to eliminate alternatives to the coalition. Once most of one's allies or associates have joined a coalition, it is awkward...perhaps dangerous not to join oneself. Although people and organizations often prefer non-action to making a risky decision, if they find themselves choosing between getting on board a growing coalition or being left behind, getting on board is often more attractive.[6]

Lastly, coalition builders may use precedence as a means of social influence. For example, in making decisions, people (or countries) generally want to remain consistent with prior commitments. That means that nations can pressure their allies to act with them in new endeavors. Failing to do so, it can be argued, would hurt their "long-standing alliance." This strategy is not always successful, especially if the self-interest of the other group seems to be harmed by the proposed action. (France, for instance, was not willing to join the U.S. coalition against Iraq in 2003, despite a long-term alliance between France and the U.S.)

What are the Benefits of Coalitions?

The benefits of coalition building go beyond increased power in relation to the opposition. Coalition building may also strengthen the members internally, enabling them to be more effective in other arenas. Some other key advantages to coalition building include[7]:

A coalition of organizations can win on more fronts than a single organization working alone and increase the potential for success.

A coalition can bring more expertise and resources to bear on complex issues, where the technical or personnel resources of any one organization would not be sufficient.

A coalition can develop new leaders. As experienced group leaders step forward to lead the coalition, openings are created for new leaders in the individual groups. The new, emerging leadership strengthens the groups and the coalition.

A coalition will increase the impact of each organization's effort. Involvement in a coalition means there are more people who have a better understanding of your issues and more people advocating for your side.

A coalition will increase available resources. Not only will physical and financial resources be increased, but each group will gain access to the contacts, connections, and relationships established by other groups.

A coalition may raise its members' public profiles by broadening the range of groups involved in a conflict. The activities of a coalition are likely to receive more media attention than those of any individual organization.

A coalition can build a lasting base for change. Once groups unite, each group's vision of change broadens and it becomes more difficult for opposition groups to disregard the coalition's efforts as dismissible or as special interests.

A successful coalition is made up of people who have never worked together before. Coming from diverse backgrounds and different viewpoints, they have to figure out how to respect each other's differences and get something big accomplished. They have to figure out how each group and its representatives can make their different but valuable contributions to the overall strategy for change (See consensus building). This helps avoid duplication of efforts and improve communication among key players.

Disadvantages of Working in Coalition[8]

Member groups can get distracted from other work. If that happens, non-coalition efforts may become less effective and the organization may be weakened overall.

A coalition may only be as strong as its weakest link. Each member organization will have different levels of resources and experience as well as different internal problems. Organizations that provide a lot of resources and leadership may get frustrated with other members' shortcomings.

To keep a coalition together, it is often necessary to cater to one side more than another, especially when negotiating tactics. If a member prefers high-profile confrontational tactics, they might dislike subdued tactics, thinking they are not exciting enough to mobilize support. At the same time, the low profile, conciliatory members might be alarmed by the confrontation advocates, fearing they will escalate the conflict and make eventual victory more difficult to obtain.

The democratic principle of one group-one vote may not always be acceptable to members with a lot of power and resources. The coalition must carefully define the relationships between powerful and less-powerful groups.

Individual organizations may not get credit for their contributions to a coalition. Members that contribute a lot may think they did not receive enough credit.

The Bottom Line

Deciding whether to join a coalition is both a rational and an emotional decision. Rationally, one must consider whether one's effectiveness and one's ability to attain one's own goals would be enhanced or harmed by participation in a coalition. Emotionally, one must consider whether one likes the other people or groups, and whether cooperating with them would be easy, or more trouble than it is worth. Usually when two people, groups, or organizations' goals are compatible, forming a coalition is to both groups' benefit. But

organizational styles, cultures, and relationships must be considered as well before any choices are made.

[1] Douglas H. Yarn, The Dictionary of Conflict Resolution. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1991), 81.

[2] "Coalition Building" (Boulder, CO: Conflict Research Consortium, 1998, accessed on January 30, 2003); available from http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/coalition.htm; Internet.

[3] Michael Watkins and Susan Rosegrant. "Building Coalitions." In Breakthrough International Negotiation: How Great Negotiators Transformed the World's Toughest Post-Cold War Conflicts. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001), 211.

[4] "Coalition Building," op.cit

[5] Michael Watkins and Susan Rosegrant, op. cit

[6] Ibid, 218-219.

[7] Florida Office of Collegiate Volunteerism, Coalition Building Guide. (1991, accessed 1 July 2003) available from http://www.tzd.state.mn.us/gettingstarted.html; Internet.

[8] Ibid.

Use the following to cite this article: Spangler, Brad. "Coalition Building." Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: June 2003 <http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/coalition_building/>.

10 STEPS TO STARTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN* American Community Gardening Association The following steps are adapted from the American Community Garden Association's guidelines for launching a successful community garden in your neighborhood. 1. ORGANIZE A MEETING OF INTERESTED PEOPLE Determine whether a garden is really needed and wanted, what kind it should be (vegetable, flower, both, organic?), whom it will involve and who benefits. Invite neighbors, tenants, community organizations, gardening and horticultural societies, building superintendents (if it is at an apartment building)—in other words, anyone who is likely to be interested. 2. FORM A PLANNING COMMITTEE This group can be comprised of people who feel committed to the creation of the garden and have the time to devote to it, at least at this initial stage. Choose well-organized persons as garden coordinators Formcommittees to tackle specific tasks: funding and partnerships, youth activities, construction and communication. 3. IDENTIFY ALL YOUR RESOURCES Do a community asset assessment. What skills and resources already exist in the community that can aid in the garden’s creation? Contact local municipal planners about possible sites, as well as horticultural societies and other local sources of information and assistance. Look within your community for people with experience in landscaping and gardening. In Toronto contact the Toronto Community Garden Network. 4. APPROACH A SPONSOR Some gardens "self-support" through membership dues, but for many, a sponsor is essential for donations of tools, seeds or money. Churches, schools, private businesses or parks and recreation departments are all possible supporters. One garden raised money by selling "square inches" at $5 each to hundreds of sonsors. 5. CHOOSE A SITE Consider the amount of daily sunshine (vegetables need at least six hours a day), availability of water, and soil testing for possible pollutants. Find out who owns the land. Can the gardeners get a lease agreement for at least three years? Will public liability insurance be necessary? 6. PREPARE AND DEVELOP THE SITE In most cases, the land will need considerable preparation for planting. Organize volunteer work crews to clean it, gather materials and decide on the design and plot arrangement. 7. ORGANIZE THE GARDEN Members must decide how many plots are available and how they will be assigned. Allow space for storing tools, making compost and don’t forget the pathways between plots! Plant flowers or shrubs around the garden's edges to promote good will with non-gardening neighbors, passersby and municipal authorities. 8. PLAN FOR CHILDREN Consider creating a special garden just for kids--including them is essential. Children are not as interested in the size of the harvest but rather in the process of gardening. A separate area set aside for them allows them to explore the garden at their own speed. 9. DETERMINE RULES AND PUT THEM IN WRITING The gardeners themselves devise the best ground rules. We are more willing to comply with rules that we have had a hand in creating. Ground rules help gardeners to know what is expected of them. Think of it as a code of behavior. Some examples of issues that are best dealt with by agreed upon rules are: dues, how will the money be used? . How are plots assigned? Will gardeners share tools, meet regularly, handle basic maintenance? 10. HELP MEMBERS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER Good communication ensures a strong community garden with active participation by all. Some ways to do this are: form a telephone tree, create an email list; install a rainproof bulletin board in the garden; have regular celebrations. Community gardens are all about creating and strengthening communities.

Appendix 3 Coordinator Responsibilities

I. The People Part

Recruitment a. Identify and recruit participants based on criteria set by coalition or grant Inform participants of project outline and goals b. Identify and recruit mentors Inform mentors of project outline and goals

participants served mentor responsibilities timelines and commitments/expectations obtain signed mentor agreements

c. Identify and recruit volunteers Inform of project outline and volunteer needs Education/Information a. Plan information meeting

• Secure convenient, adequate meeting site and reserve it • Invite all potential participants, mentors, and volunteers if appropriate • Invite previous participants to present if possible • Secure posters, journals, PowerPoint of similar projects • Plan menu/secure donations or funding for food • Plan for miscellaneous needs: camera, tablecloths, plates, cutlery, etc.

b. Conduct information meeting • Fully explain project to all • Provide and explain participant packets which include:

o Letter of invitation to apply o Participant covenant/landlord agreement o Pre-survey o Plant request o Photo release

• Introduce mentors • Obtain and maintain contact list for all participants, mentors &

volunteers • Set and/or review timelines

c. Collect and review packets from participants d. Follow up on missing information e. Select participants f. Match mentors with participants if not done previously

II. Locations (the Places Part)

a. Determine and secure permission for locations b. Check with officials for zoning, water needs and billing, etc. c. Obtain landlord permission prior to installations

III. Materials (the Products part)

a. Order enough copies of “All New Square Foot Gardening” for each participant/family and each mentor

b. Order plant starts based on participant requests (order some extras) c. Purchase or obtain via donations (or combination of both) materials for beds:

i. Cedar boards ii. Hardware for construction iii. Lath or other material for grids iv. Miscellaneous supplies such as tomato stakes, wood and netting for

trellises, etc. d. Determine soil mixture to be used and purchase or obtain via donations (or

combination of both) ingredients for the soil mix i. Vermiculite ii. Peat moss iii. 5 different kinds of compost iv. Other if you decide to use a different soil

e. Purchase or obtain via donations (or combination of both) supplies for participant gardening kits:

i. Kneeling pads ii. Gloves for each family member iii. Garden trowel iv. Seeds per participant request forms

IV. Installing, Monitoring, and Evaluating (the Process Part)

a. Coordinate installation schedules with participants, installers, and mentors b. Assure soil mix will be available and ready to add with installations c. Retrieve and distribute plants to participants ideally on or prior to installation

day (unless beds are installed prior to planting time) d. Meet at participant’s home with installers and assure needs are met for

installers and participants regarding installations i. At least one adult participant must be present for installation—goal is

to engage participants fully in process and provide education about sunny site, proximity to water and house, etc.

e. Stencil number sequence on boxes for tracking f. Take plenty of pictures throughout installations at multiple sites

g. Monitor through season to assure participants and mentors are well connected and have what they need; provide on-going encouragement, support, and appreciation for all involved

h. Deliver post tests and evaluations with stamped return envelopes to participants

i. Deliver evaluations with stamped return envelopes or via e-mail to mentors j. Begin data evaluation as evaluations are returned k. Follow up with participants and mentors to assure good return rate of post

tests and evaluations l. Begin data evaluation

V. Celebration (the Party Part)

a. Enlist help of volunteers and delegate tasks b. Locate and reserve a convenient, adequate location with a kitchen c. Plan most convenient date and time and design an invitation d. Send invitation about 3 weeks prior to event; invite everyone involved e. Assure all gardeners—but especially participants—know to contribute a dish

made with produce from their gardens f. Plan for extras: bread, drinks, dessert, pitchers, tablecloths, etc. g. Develop displays of project using lots of pictures and quotes h. Create Certificates of Participation for participants i. Create Certificates of Appreciation for mentors j. Create any other acknowledgements as deemed appropriate k. Hold potluck celebration and take lots of pictures l. Eat, drink, and enjoy!

VI. Project Evaluation

a. Gather all straggler surveys, evaluations, and comments; follow up to collect missing data

b. Compile data into reports, articles, and/or presentations c. Present on project and outcomes to any and all interested parties d. Save everything for future project opportunities

Attachment 1: Participant Letter of Invitation Dear Potential Gardener, Do you like the idea of growing delicious fruits and vegetables in your own yard? If so, you might be interested in Your Project’s Name’s home gardening project. The goal of the project is to help folks who may be struggling with grocery bills to eat more fruits and vegetables by growing their own produce. Home gardening reduces costs, transportation, and storage and spoilage problems of fresh foods. And, it’s a lot of fun! This project will create home gardens provided at no cost to qualifying participants. To be eligible, you or someone in your household must receive medical coupons and/or food stamps. Knowing how to garden is not necessary-- just the desire to learn and to eat your own fresh produce. One 4’ x 8’ wooden raised bed will be installed in a sunny spot in your yard. A crew will build the frames, fill them with soil, and provide seeds and vegetable starts. An “All New Square Foot Gardening” book and garden tools will be supplied. Experienced garden mentors will provide ongoing gardening education and support to you. Maintaining the garden is easy since it’s so small. But don’t let the small size fool you; a well-planned raised bed can grow lots of produce. To apply, please fill out the enclosed forms. Selection will be based on the completed application with landlord approval, verification of a medical coupons or food stamps for at least one household member, and a commitment to tending the garden throughout the growing season. Deadline for applications is 00/00/00. All applicants will be informed of acceptance by 00/00/00. Thank you for your time and interest. Name Name Project Director Project Coordinator

Attachment 2: Landlord Agreement/Participant Covenant

Covenant for Participation in Your Project’s Name Food Gardening Project

2009 I/we, __________________________________, are applying for acceptance to the Your Project’s Name Food Gardening Project. I/we understand that project staff and volunteers will install a raised bed, provide soil, seeds, and starts to plant our garden, and that I/we will be paired with a garden mentor for support and education. By signing below I/we confirm that I/we have obtained permission from our landlord(s) to participate in this project. I/we commit to planting, tending, and harvesting our garden throughout the 2009 growing season. I/we also agree to fully participate in project activities including allowing photographs of our garden. I/we will not hold your organization or any participating organization liable for any damages or injuries incurred during this project. Signed: ______________________________________ Date: _______ Signed: ______________________________________ Date: _______ Signed: _______________________________________Date: _______ I/we own our home:______________________________ Date: _______ I/we, _______________________________________, owners/landlords of the property at __________________________________________, agree to my/our tenant’s participation in the Your Project’s Name project. I/we understand that participation involves installation of one 4’ x 8’ raised bed of wood construction including digging up the ground within the raised bed. I/we agree not to hold your organization responsible or liable for any damages to my/our property due to participation in this project. You may contact me at (phone) ______________________ or (e-mail) ________________________________________ to verify confirmation. Signed: _________________________________________ Date: ______ Signed: ____________________________________________Date: ______

Attachment 3: Pre/post Survey

Your Project’s Name Food Gardening Project Initial Survey, 2009 Thank you for your interest in food gardening. To help make this project a success, we need your input. Please answer the following questions and then return this survey with your covenant and photo release.

1. How much gardening experience do you have?

none very little some quite a bit I’m an expert gardener

2. Growing produce (fruits and vegetables) for myself and my family is important because:

(please circle all that apply)

a. It’s fresher b. It’s readily available c. It’s safer d. It’s cheaper e. Maybe my children will eat more if we grow it f. Maybe I and other adults in my home will eat more if we grow it g. It’s not important h. Other:

3. How would you rate your ability to provide nutritious foods for your family? very limited limited Ok good very good

4. How many servings of produce do you usually eat each day?

0-1 2-3 4-5 5 or more

5. How many servings of produce do you serve your family each day?

0-1 1-3 3-5 5 or more

6. How much time do you spend doing activities outside (including gardening) each day? 0-1 hour 1-3 hours 3-5 hours more than 5 hours 7. How would you rate your level of physical activity?

low somewhat active moderately active very active

8. What benefits do you hope to gain/did you gain for yourself and/or your family by growing a garden? (please circle all that apply)

a. bigger food supply/ save money on groceries b. bring family together on an activity c. increased physical activity d. better nutrition for self and/or family e. sense of accomplishment f. create new and/or better relationships g. improved health for self and/or family h. opportunity to share with others i. no benefits expected j. other:

How many people will/did help tend your garden and how many people will eat/ate from your garden? Tended by: Eat from: Adults:___________________ Adults:_____________________ Children (1 – 18 yr.):________ Children (1-18 yr.):_____________ Babies (birth – 1 yr):________ Babies (birth – 1 yr):___________ Any other comments welcome:

Attachment 4: Plant Request Form Name: Mentor: Bed #

Plants: broccoli canta-loupe

cauli-flower celery eggplant

peppers, bell

peppers, hot tomatoes

tomatoes, cherry

water-melon

Herbs: basil chives cilantro marjoram oregano parsley rosemary sage thyme

Seeds/ sets carrots

green beans lettuce onions peas potatoes radishes spinach

Swiss chard

zuc-chini

Flowers marigolds nastur-tiums

sun-flowers

Other: SFG Book gloves pad trowel covenant pre-

survey photo

release

Attachment 5: Mentor Letter of Invitation Dear Potential Garden Mentor, Your Project’s Name is developing a project to promote home gardening among your target group.. This project involves __# of people/families in specific place or area. The selected participants have (completed a survey) and signed a covenant agreeing to tend their garden throughout the growing season. Partner has agreed to build and install 4'x 8' wooden raised bed frames. Partner will also fill the beds with a special organic soil mixture so the beds will be and ready to plant the same day. We hope to install the beds early to mid-March/April. Plant starts are awaiting us from your source.U We will purchase other starts and seeds as per participant request. While the focus is vegetables, herbs and flowers will also be encouraged. The role of the garden mentor will be to educate, guide, and support these families/participants--some of which have never gardened before. The plan is for the mentor of each family to meet with us at the family's home on the day of installation for introductions and to get a general idea of the family's gardening goals. After that, a minimum of one contact per week--could occasionally be by phone in the event of vacations--to support, educate, and cheer the family on. This is a commitment of sharing time, knowledge, and encouragement; no financial costs to you should be incurred. Project coordinator will be taking photographs and chronicling the project throughout the summer so I would want to rendezvous with you at your participant's garden sometimes. We'll celebrate the "end" (gardening never ends) of the project with a big potluck for all participants and mentors at the your chosen place sometime in September. What a perfect community service project: supporting delightful, appreciative citizens in their efforts to feed their families fresh, delicious produce grown in their own small, contained garden. Since the time commitment is small some of you may want to mentor 2 or 3 families which would be wonderful!!! Thank you so much for your interest. I've no doubt that this will be a fun and satisfying experience for those who choose to participate. Please feel free to contact me via phone (###-#####) or e-mail for further information. Your Name, Project Coordinator

Attachment 6: Mentor Agreement Name: ____________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Telephone: (home)_______________________(cell)__________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________________________________ Pease describe your experience growing vegetables: Please describe any experience you have mentoring or teaching: I, _____________________________________, agree to the following requirements for mentoring a gardener in the Your Project’s Name Food Gardening project: _____ attend mentor orientation _____ arrange weekly contact with the gardener (in person initially, by phone later) _____ help with installation of the gardening bed (first year gardeners only) _____ educate, support, and guide my mentee(s) through the gardening season _____ abide by any security requirements for the site _____ practice chemical free gardening _____ complete a post project evaluation _____ relax and enjoy this experience! Signed:______________________________________ Date:_______________ Please return this application to:

Attachment 7: Invitation to Celebration Sample

You’re Invited to

Celebrate the Harvests of the

Clark County Home Grown Garden Project on

Thursday, September 13, 2007, 6:00–8:00 pm at the

Center for Community Health, Room C301 1601 East Fourth Plain Blvd.

All gardeners are requested to bring a potluck dish made with produce from your garden Beverages, bread, and dessert provided

For further information and to RSVP, please contact coordinator name at ###-####

Attachment 8: Certificate Samples

Participant Certificate of Participation

In Recognition of Participant Name

for enthusiastic participation in the

Your Project’s Name Summer of 2009

Mentor Certificate of Appreciation

In Appreciation of Garden Mentor Name

for generously volunteering her knowledge and support

as a garden mentor to the

Your Project’s Name Summer of 2009

Partner Certificate of Appreciation

In Grateful Appreciation of Partner name & affiliation

for his/her/their advocacy and support of the

Your Project’s Name Summer of 2009