Community gardens and building strong communities Miriam Pepper .

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Community gardens and building strong communities Miriam Pepper www.unitingearthweb.org.au

Transcript of Community gardens and building strong communities Miriam Pepper .

Page 1: Community gardens and building strong communities Miriam Pepper .

Community gardens and building strong communities

Miriam Pepperwww.unitingearthweb.org.au

Page 2: Community gardens and building strong communities Miriam Pepper .

Outline

• Introductions• Stories from church community gardens:– What are community gardens?– Why and how are churches involved?– How are they building strong communities?– What challenges have they faced?

• Resources• Discussion in pairs/groups

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Introductions

• 10 seconds• What is your name?• Are you involved in a community garden

– which one?• What do you hope to learn from this session?

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What are community gardens?

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• Places where people come together to garden• Food growing and associated facilities• Indigenous and native plants• Community art• Animals• Socialisation, celebration, solitude, reflection

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Turtle Lane

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Living Garden

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Cottage in the Graveyard

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Kingston Organic Garden

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Why are churches involved?

• Build relationships• Social inclusion• Stewardship of church land• Creation care• Respond to a request from the community• Invigorate their mission• Integrate worship, witness and service

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Hughes Street

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Cooma

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Garden of Eden

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Feed My People

Photo: Thea Buchanwww.unitingearthweb.org.au

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South Sydney

Photo: Ali Bloggwww.unitingearthweb.org.au

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How are churches involved?

Four models:• “Church land, church run”• “Church land, others run”• “Church in partnership”• “Existing garden”

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Miranda

Photo: UnitingCreativewww.unitingearthweb.org.au

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O’Connor

Photo: Noel Haberechtwww.unitingearthweb.org.au

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Adamstown

www.unitingearthweb.org.auGraphic: Tom Toogood

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How are churches building strong communities?

• Enhanced relationships and networks• Social inclusion• Environmental benefits• Physical and mental health benefits• Reduced costs for managing open space• Reduced crime and vandalism

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How are churches building strong communities?

“The main theme appears to be the connection of the people involved... friendships and connections through the earth, the soil, the plants, and its fruits. There is an energy coming from

it that is difficult to put into words.”Church community garden tour participant, 28/5/11

• Partnerships• Build community ownership• Participatory learning• Celebration• The church itself can be transformed!

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Garden of Eden

Photo: Judith Daltonwww.unitingearthweb.org.au

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Garden of Eden

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Garden of Eden

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Garden of Eden

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What challenges have churches faced?

• Getting the whole congregation on board• Issues of who controls the space• Managing conflicts among gardeners and

garden groups• Founder’s syndrome• Longer term sustainability?

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Hughes Street

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Other gardens (Uniting Church)

• St Luke’s Belmont• Permapatch

(Chatswood South)• St John’s Neutral Bay• UAICC Garden

(Broken Hill)• New Lambton• Quakers Hill

• Canowindra• Fairy Meadow• Young• Mudgee• Grace Community

(Goulburn)• Hope

(Maroubra Junction)

and no doubt more…….

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Resources

Uniting Earthweb community food resources: • “Growing Mission with Community Food”

http://www.unitingearthweb.org.au/community-food

• Church stories:http://www.unitingearthweb.org.au/stories

Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network: http://communitygarden.org.au

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Questions?

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Discussion

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In pairs or small groups:• What struck you from today’s presentation?• What have you learned?• What will you take away with you?

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Thank you!

Miriam Pepperwww.unitingearthweb.org.au