Youngstown Garden Collectives

[Towntalk]

I really and truly support community gardens, but how's come in describing them it sounds as if we're reading about it in a Communist newspaper ... "collectives". I don't recall hearing those kind of terms used during WWII when neighborhoods were planting Victory Gardens, and what's this business of having an outside group telling a group of neighbors who want to start a neighborhood garden what to plant as if they don't already have something in mind on their own.

What kind of "help" would be used in ordering seeds and starter plants. If this organization wants to financially help, then how much of the yield would they expect in return. My goodness, seed catalogues are a dime a dozen, they're free, and they provide good planting information, and there are many web sites that provide great information about planting.

As to soil testing, kits are available at any garden center that are very simple to use and quite accurate.

If a group of neighbors want to start a "Victory Garden" in their neighborhood, and they tend those gardens, then the crops should stay in that neighborhood without outsiders telling them to take the yield to some "farmers market".

[jay]

FYI

City Gardens is a community membership gardening opportunity.  Land is secured and you do the gardening.  In order for the garden to be viable it must have at least seven dedicated members committed to two hours a week in the garden.  Garden members may organize themselves to grow collectively or have individual plots depending on what works best for their group.  If you are interested in having a community vegetable garden in your neighborhood, please use the contact information listed below.

Grow Youngstown promotes chemical free low till gardening and offers help with seed ordering, planting and transplanting.  Training on simple soil testing, composting, plant strategy, and design will be provided.

Contact:
citygardens@growyoungstown.org