Urban Agriculture Challenges and Solutions: Part 1

13th Street Garden
13th St. Garden has individual beds and collective rows.

 

13th Street Garden

This is the first in a series of articles about the challenges gardeners and farmers have faced in an urban area, as well as the solutions they have come up with in the face of these issues.

13th Street Garden was established eight years ago and can be found in the Old North neighborhood of St. Louis. It is unique in that it is a resource garden, one that lends tools and knowledge to other gardens. It is also special because of its longevity. I met with garden leaders Jason and Jessica to talk about the unique issues they face as garden leaders in St. Louis.

13th Street Garden
A street side view of 13th St Garden.

The garden has historically been supported by the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, but it is managed by longtime, dedicated neighborhood volunteers. They hold a weekly farmers’ market on site where they sell extra produce that is collectively grown in the center rows. The money from the market goes back into the garden to keep it running with seeds, plants, tools, and other materials. When asked what their biggest challenge is, both agreed lack of time and volunteers keeps them from reaching all of their goals.

“In an effort to keep weeds down, we decided to try having people sign up to weed just a single row each week, which is much more manageable than trying to tackle everything at once,” Jason said when explaining the solutions they’ve found to increasing involvement with more neighbors.

They also do outreach, such as going door to door in their neighborhood and speaking to market customers about how they can join the garden. Jessica says their market especially creates a sense of community, bringing in people from across the area who may not be members of the garden.

Jessica holds this sense of community very dearly.

“I moved here from Chicago where I lived in a mid-rise building and didn’t know anyone. Here, I know many of my neighbors. We have potlucks for almost every holiday and people come to our farmers’ market just to hang out and talk.”

They both agreed that Old North is a tight knit neighborhood, but that the garden makes it even closer.

“That’s the magic of this neighborhood. People know each other and they care about each other,” said Jason.

However, they are concerned about gardening in an urban environment.

“Lead exposure is a concern, even though plants don’t absorb much into their roots,” said Jason.

This concerns many urban farmers and gardeners. Lead is often left behind in the soil from demolished buildings.

Many gardens, including the 13th St. Garden, use raised beds and rows with fresh soil and compost to avoid lead exposure. Washing one’s hands after gardening and harvested vegetables before eating them also helps cut down on the risk of exposure. They are also experimenting with low till practices and mulching to reduce direct contact with the soil and skin.

13th Street Garden
13th St Garden has individual beds and collective rows.

They’ve also faced some theft.

“We’ve had a couple incidences of plants being pulled out of the ground and taken. Whole kale plants just disappearing. The majority of our garden-grown seedlings disappeared at the beginning of the season.”

And while they feel disappointed when theft happens, they remind themselves that it only happens occasionally. Neighbors and other urban farmers reached out to donate money and seedlings to replace those lost, getting the garden back on schedule for planting.

“Everyone is really supportive. Even if they’re not part of the garden,” said Jason.

Looking forward, both Jessica and Jason are primarily concerned with how best to increase fresh food access in their neighborhood. They want to be a resource for their community, whether that means sharing knowledge or assisting people in setting up a backyard garden.

“If a backyard garden is going to work best for them, then we will try to support them however we can,” said Jason.

In summary

To address lack of time and volunteers, 13th St. Garden does outreach door-to-door and at their on-site farmers’ markets. They also have interested people take responsibility for smaller tasks such as weeding a row, instead of expecting everyone to tackle the whole garden.

To address the risk of lead exposure, they use raised beds and rows with fresh soil and compost to prevent contamination. They also remind volunteers and members to wash hands and produce after coming into contact with soil. They are also trying low till practices.

When it comes to theft, they remind themselves that it is an infrequent occurrence that does not reflect the attitudes of the majority of the community.

To increase food access in the community, they focus on providing the best resources for each individual, in addition to increasing production and growing their farmers’ market.

 

-Written by Mallory Brown, Communications & Fundraising AmeriCorps VISTA at Gateway Greening

 

To read about other community gardens, check out the links below:

https://gatewaygreening.org/fresh-starts-community-garden/

https://gatewaygreening.org/growing-community-central-reform-congregation-community-garden-beyond/

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS GRANTS $100,000 FOR GATEWAY GREENING GARDEN PROGRAM

Gateway Greening is grateful to announce a new partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors.  Within our community and school garden program, Wells Fargo Advisors is providing $100,000 in funding to Gateway Greening to build new gardens and to expand existing gardens.  The new partnership allows Gateway Greening to assist more community-led projects with urban agriculture resources and training.  For 2017, this funding will help build or expand 25 community or school gardens.

“It’s great to join hands with non-profits and make a positive impact,” said David Kowach, head of Wells Fargo Advisors. “It brings even more fulfillment to the work we do every day.” 

“Gateway Greening greatly appreciates this new grant from Wells Fargo Advisors to expand and create community and school gardens in the St. Louis area.,” said Matt Schindler, Executive Director of Gateway Greening.  “In terms of community development, access to healthy food, and sustainable land use, this partnership will improve the lives of hundreds of people in a wide variety of neighborhoods across the region.”

This new partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors will strengthen Gateway Greening’s garden development program.  Demand for urban agricultural knowledge and resources continues to grow, and Gateway Greening has been St. Louis’ source for 33 years.

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About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 220 community and school gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

Edible Perennials: A 101

Every spring, farmers and gardeners alike begin to grow their plants. While some planting and a lot of planning happens during the winter months, the bulk of the work of growing begins in early spring. But what if you could plant edible plants that come back year after year with less work?

 

Benefits of Edible Perennials

Annuals, plants that live only one year and must be replaced, make up the majority of edibles grown in Missouri. Perennials can provide relief from some the work that annuals involve, but their low maintenance characteristics aren’t the only benefit they provide.

Edible Perennials - Rubarb
Rubarb, a local favorite in pies and other baked goods.

Edible perennials are great for soil. Bare soil quickly dries out and washes away in the winter without the help of roots to hold it in place. And so growing something is vital. Also, perennials don’t require tilling which can kill beneficial components of soil. Perennials allow soil to thrive by adding organic matter to it and letting worms mix all the beneficial components together.

Perennials, including trees, help catch water and nutrients that might otherwise run into storm water drains without nurturing anything. One of the biggest issues in cities is the proliferation of impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt that do not catch storm water, leading to overburdened and overflowing sewer systems. Perennials help to divert storm water by catching it in their root systems, something that grass, with its small roots, just can’t do.

These plants also create nurturing and permanent habitats for animals, fungus, and more. These are vital as people continue to destroy existing habitats to put up buildings and roads.

Perennials help extend the harvest season. Some edible perennials are ready in early spring, which means you have plants to harvest and eat during a period that usually isn’t high yield. This is especially beneficial for school gardens that want to harvest some edible plants before summer arrives.

These plants can also help to improve your garden. Some perennials fix nitrogen in the soil, providing themselves and neighboring crops with fertilizer. Others help to prevent erosion on hills or work as hedges or ground cover. And several can help pollinators while others can climb trellises to provide shade for other plants.

 

Examples of Perennial Edibles that Grow Well In Missouri:

Walking Onion
Walking Onion is a hardy and delicious member of the onion family.

Thyme, oregano, sage, and tarragon

Raspberry, blueberries, and blackberries

Elderberries and Aronia (chokeberries)

Hazelnuts

Shrub cherries

Asparagus

Rhubarb

Sorrel

Anise Hyssop

Scorzonera

Walking onion

Hops

Garlic Chives

Horseradish

 

Further Considerations:

Anise Hyssop
Anise Hyssop is a perennial herb that tastes great in salads, pastas, and soups.

However, perennials have their drawbacks. Some perennial vegetables, like asparagus, take a few years to establish. Other perennials are only edible for short periods as they become bitter when they flower. A few perennials can choke other plants by taking over parts of your garden. And some perennials have issues with disease and pest management as a result of the lack of crop rotation.

Edible perennials are a great addition to your current selection of annuals. They work together and can create a thriving and delicious garden!

 

To read more on this subject, check out these links:

Perennial Vegetables: Grow More Food With Less Work

Edible Spring Perennials You Need To Grow

 

 

 

Greening the STL Map Room

Blog | STL Map Room 01
Gateway Greening staff members worked with STL Map Room Site Coordinator Emily Catedral to mark current St. Louis LRA locations as part of their contribution to the STL Map Room project.

This week the Gateway Greening staff found a new way to highlight school & community gardens throughout St. Louis City – by teaming up with the STL Map Room project!

STL Map Room is a collaborative project between COCA (Center of Creative Arts) and The Office for Creative Research. On March 3, the partnership took over the shuttered Stevens Middle School in St. Louis, MO to create the St. Louis Map Room: a community space for creating and exploring original, interpretive maps of the city that reflect the personal stories and lived experiences of its residents.

Blog | STL Map Room 03
Gateway Greening Youth Educator Meg Holmes marking school garden locations throughout St. Louis City.

Last Thursday several Gateway Greening staff members spent the morning working with Emily Catedral of the STL Map Room to create a 10’x10’ canvas map of St. Louis City which our experience as urban agriculture advocates in the city.

It was a powerful experience as Catedral worked with staff to pull up a range of map data dating back to as early as the late 1800s and covering a range of topics: public transportation, residential and industrial zoning, racial distribution, public income and healthcare census records, and more. By adding a selection of school and community gardens throughout the city and projecting historical map data over top, it didn’t take long to observe how the locations of currently existing community gardens often correlated to St. Louis City’s zoning and financial policy decisions made as far back as the early 1900s.

After a great deal of debate and discussion, our staff narrowed down the list of possible data points that could be included to focus on current LRA land distribution, existing public green spaces, and a selection of school and community gardens throughout the city. The Gateway Greening map has joined others created by schools, non-profits, and the general public from around St. Louis and will be on display at the Stevens Middle School until April 9, 2017. Afterwards, the maps will be displayed in various locations throughout St. Louis for an undefined amount of time before being added to the City Archives.

Blog | STL Map Room 01
Gateway Greening’s contribution to the STL Map Room project, highlighting many of St. Louis City’s school & community gardens, public green spaces, and LRA land.

Discover more about this fascinating project by visiting the STL Map Room website, or find out how you can participating by contacting Emily Catedral at [email protected].

Gateway Greening Announces Installation of St. Louis Artworks Community Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – St. Louis Artworks Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Three double-high raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 3 wooden picnic tables, 2 wooden benches, 1 wheelbarrow, 2 garden hoes, 2 digging forks, 1 hard rake, 7 garden trowels, and 125’ of garden hoses.

St. Louis Artworks Community Garden has 11 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 144 lbs of produce annually, on average.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The St. Louis Artworks Community Garden is located at 5959 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Installation of MRH Elementary School Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – MRH Elementary School Garden in Richmond Heights, MO was installed on 29 Oct 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Twelve raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 2 picnic tables, 2 wooden benches, assorted signage, and garden tools.

MRH Elementary School Garden has 11 families from the community gardening and with the students, the garden will be able to grow 480 lbs of produce annually, on average. The produce will be used in MRH Elementary School lunches and is also for the gardeners’ personal use.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The MRH Elementary School Garden is located at 1800 Princeton Place, Richmond Heights, MO 63117.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Installation of Grant’s View Community Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – Grant’s View Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Twenty eight raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 1 shed, 1 3-bin compost system with signage, 1 picnic table, 1 ANOVA bench, 1 garden scale, 150’ of watering hoses with carts, 12 shovels, 5 hard rakes, 5 digging forks, 6 garden hoes, and 5 hand tool sets.

Grant’s View Community Garden has 34 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 1344 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce will be used by the gardeners and informally distributed throughout the community.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The Grant’s View Community Garden is located at 9700 Musick Ave. St. Louis, MO 63123.

(PHOTOS ATTACHED)

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Grant’s View Community Garden Installation 2016

Gateway Greening Announces Installation of Blades Community Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) –Blades Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. 10 raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 1 garden sign, 1 toolshed, and 1 garden scale.

Blades Community Garden has 10 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 400 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce will be used by the gardeners.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The Blades Community Garden is located at 5140 Patterson Rd. St. Louis, MO 63129.

(PHOTOS ATTACHED)

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Blades Community Garden Installation 2016

Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of William L Clay Community Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – William L Clay Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was expanded in Fall of 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. The garden received: 10 cubic yards of garden mix, 1 garden scale, 150’ of watering hose, 1 wheelbarrow, 1 digging fork, 1 garden hoe, 1 hard rake, and 1 sprinkler.

William L Clay Community Garden has 18 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 750 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce is used by the gardeners and informally distributed throughout the community.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The William L Clay Community Garden is located at 5608 Clemens Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of People’s Nutrition Garden

St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – People’s Nutrition Garden in St. Louis, MO was expanded in Fall of 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. The garden received: 2 cubic yards of garden mix, 2 hard rakes, 2 garden hoes, 1 digging fork, 1 garden scale, 1 deck box, and 1 small composter.

People’s Nutrition Garden has 7 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 300 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce is used by the gardeners, informally given away in the local community, and formally donated to Operation Food Search.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The People’s Nutrition Garden is located at 5701 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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