Guida agli orti comunitari 01
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[edit] Community Gardening in SA Resource Kit
The Community Gardening in SA Resource Kit was created to encourage the establishment of new community gardens, and to support existing community gardens. The information the Kit contains is designed to be relevant to community groups considering starting a community garden, professionals considering using community gardening as part of their programs, people who are asked to support community garden projects, and groups already running community gardens. Contents were determined by the expressed needs of South Australian community gardeners and people in the initial stages of creating new gardens, and advice from experienced community gardeners about the most important things people should know when embarking on community gardening projects.
[edit] Why Community Gardens?
Community gardens are recognised worldwide as a great way to grow food, improve your health, meet people, and cultivate vibrant communities. They:
- allow people to grow their own vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers
- contribute to building an ecologically viable and socially just food system
- are a convivial way of getting fresh air and exercise with no gym fees!
- foster community engagement and a culture of generosity, reciprocity, trust and self-help
- are great places to learn about gardening and share local and traditional knowledge
- preserve and improve the precious green spaces in urban environments
- develop innovative ways of living sustainably in the city
- create art projects, community events, celebrations, workshops, and much more
- provide opportunities for cultural exchange and learning
- and some community gardens produce enough food share the surplus and/or develop community enterprises.
“It’s about taking back the ability to produce food for ourselves. At the supermarket, you not only don’t connect to the food system, but the money goes out of the region. People are looking for a sense of community, and they find it in their local community garden” (Claire Cummings)
“Urban community gardeners are bringing life and liveability, seed by seed, back to their neighbourhoods. The gardens nourish the body and also the soul” (Patricia Hynes)
[edit] Essential Community Garden Resources
The South Australian Community Gardening Network can be contacted by phoning 1300 737 612 (cost of a local call) Australian Community Gardens and City Farms Network (http://www.terracircle.org.au/garden/) has information on starting a community garden, news and updates about community gardens around the country and links to more resources. Australian Community Foods (http://www.communityfoods.org.au/) contains contact details for community gardens in South Australia and across Australia. The American Community Gardening Association (http://www.communitygarden.org/) has start up info and resources, links, and access to publications. The Canadian City Farmer website (http://www.cityfarmer.org) has extensive information and links about urban agriculture and community gardening.
[edit] Acknowledgements
The Community Gardening in South Australia Resource Kit was produced as part of the ‘Community Gardening in SA Project’, which was funded in 2003 – 2004 by the Department of Health, and auspiced by the Community and Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association SA. Many people contributed to this Kit. Thank you to all who were part of the planning process, particularly: Kelly Allen, Clive Bristow, Gloria Bristow, David Corkill, Deidre Knight, Margaret RainbowWeb, Jeremy Urquhart and the Community Gardening in SA Project Reference Group. Thank you to everyone who participated in the South Australian Community Gardening Gathering in October 2003, particularly those who facilitated workshops/ sessions: Kelly Allen, David Corkill, Julie Firth, David Harrison, Mary Heath, Jacqui Hunter, Chas Martin, Lynda McCarty, Ben Neil, Bridget O’Donnell, Steve Poole, and Jeremy Urquhart. The information shared by gardeners at the Gathering contributed greatly to this Kit. These people provided valuable feedback, advice and suggestions on draft versions: Dick Copeman and Ross Craig (Northey Street City Farm), Deidre Knight and Ian Lillington (Community Gardening in SA Project), Ben Neil (Cultivating Community), Rebequea Aitken, Kelly Allen and Christopher Day (Flinders University Permaculture Garden), Chris Banks (Duck Flat Community Garden), Carol Payne (Caboolture Community Gardens), Jeremy Urquhart (Permaculture Association of SA), Robyn Downing (House on the Hill), and Julie Coulls (Kurruru Pingyarendi Community Garden). Special thanks to Victorian community gardening organisation, Cultivating Community for allowing reproduction of sections of its (2002) publication, Good Practice Guide for Community Gardens Compiled by Greg Milne, and to Northey Street City Farm, who provided advice, access to their resources, and a sunny place to sit while typing up the Kit. Researched, written and illustrated by claire fulton. Web design by John Brisbin, Australian Community Foods Citation:
Department of Health, Government of South Australia, 2004. Community Gardening in SA Resource Kit, report prepared by C Fulton, Community And Neighbourhood Houses And Centres Association Inc, Adelaide You may download, display, or reproduce this work or parts of this work, in unaltered form only, for personal use, non-commercial use, or within your own organisation. Disclaimer:The opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Department of Health.