Part Two – Keeping The Community Garden Alive

Financial & Organizational - Sustainability

Back at the “turn of the century” in the year 2000 (has it been that long?) ... community gardens were new, and over the next few years, many have sprung up. Sure there is a city mandate that there should be a community garden in every ward, however, many councillors still don't know what a C.G. really is, let alone, how to support them. So, now there is a need to sustain them. Or more correctly – show them how they can sustain themselves. Page 6 of the C.G. Handbook.

Many community gardens face two basic challenges – financial sustainability and, Organizational sustainability – IE. running the garden – without – the coordinator burning out!

Many C.G.s were started up by organizations, and handed back to the group ... and they were just left on their own. ... even the Perth Dupont Community Garden – in 2005 the city Councillor put the garden in the park in my neighbourhood, he handed out plots to folks that were on the waiting list for an allotment garden ... no group structure ...nothing ... it was the following year that we became a community group, and I became the coordinator.

So, that is why we will now discuss:

• Part 2 - A: Financial Sustainability
• Part 2 - B: Organizational Sustainability