A community garden is a cooperatively cultivated space, typically located in an urban or suburban landscape. Community gardens provide a way for individuals, families, or community groups who do not have access to adequate land to participate in gardening and small-scale agriculture. In the case of vegetable gardens, produce is usually intended for localized distribution and is primarily consumed by the individuals who have invested efforts in the garden throughout the season. There are also entrepreneurial and educational community gardens which provide more enrichment than fresh produce for a community. Community gardens range in their sizes and organizational structures, and may be located on public or private land.
Often, large community gardens will be subdivided into plots, which individuals then register to cultivate. Small fees are usually charged to participants in order to cover use of water and shared supplies. Benefits associated with community gardens may include aesthetics, food security, interpersonal relationships, crime reduction, community development, entrepreneurial opportunities, environmental sustainability, and many others.
Usage example: “Some [community] gardens are effectively subdivided to yield the maximum number of plots. Many include shared spaces, such as sitting gardens, areas of native habitat restoration, butterfly gardens, communal orchards, or herb gardens, and play areas” (2005: 265).
Resources: Lawson, L.J. 2005. City Bountiful: A Century of Community Gardening in America. Berkeley: University of California Press.(see also: American Community Gardening Association: http://www.communitygarden.org/index.php) [from the Food Systems Wiki Glossary http://foodglossary.pbworks.com/w/page/48854828/Community%20Garden ]
