Mistakes were made …

Food insecurity affects roughly one in five people living in this part of rural Ontario. 

The scope of hunger ranges from people who may not have enough food as payday approaches, to people who rely on food banks and community meal programs for all of their food.  There are many causes, but primarily food insecurity is a direct result of poverty and the lack of affordable housing.  There are many definitions of affordable housing; however, perhaps the standard comes from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Agency, housing should only account for 30 to 40% of a person’s or family’s total income.  In our region, for many, housing accounts for 80 to 100% of their household expenditures.

In rural Ontario, there are dedicated volunteers and a handful of paid staffers who have done an incredible job band-aiding food insecurity.  Community meal programs and food banks have provided a bridge that has saved many people from something most Canadians only relate to third-world situations. 

There is a third group, like the other volunteers, who toil away in relative obscurity.  They are the people who tend to community gardens.

Yesterday I read a report about why a community garden was rejected by complaints from neighbors and politicians.  The comments in the report had a profound impact on me.  At first, as an advocate for those needing food, I was dismayed, angry, and shocked that any group of Canadians could be so incredibly self-absorbed and uncaring.  I was furious that we could be so blind to the benefits of a small garden.  The more I thought about it, the more upset I became.  Then I reread the complaints and I realized what might be the reason(s). 

As a concept community, gardens grow fresh fruits and vegetables.  The volunteers usually keep a portion of their crops for themselves, most will quietly donate a large portion of their harvest to community meal programs and food banks and may sell what is left, “by donation” to help offset the costs that inevitably occur for things like seeds, plants, and replacement tools.

Many community gardens are small, a handful of people, and even some are just people who donate from their private gardens.  Larger gardens involve teams of volunteers made up of coordinators, students, adults, and seniors.  They come from all segments of our population.  Some are new Canadians, many are retired, and virtually every ethnicity is represented.  Many are people who are suffering from food insecurity, some are wealthy, and others are in-between.  Whoever they are, in the spring they till the soil, plant, water, and weed.  It is a place to talk to people, to get out of the house, and to enjoy a hobby in the sun.  In the fall, they harvest and share before putting the garden to bed and wait until spring arrives again.

Some come for the desire to give back to their community.  Some like teaching new generations how to grow their own food, they like independence and sustainability.  Some just enjoy the miracle of taking some dirt, compost, a little water, and sunlight and watching creation occur, whatever the reason, they make a difference that few appreciate.

What could be wrong with that?

Nothing is wrong with that.

What is wrong is fear.

Community gardens take up space.  They attract birds, bees, and butterflies.  They follow an ancient cycle of birth, growth, bounty, and decomposition.  They attract animals as much as they attract people.  There are noises, smells, and activities.  Volunteers drive cars, have children, and need washrooms.  Vandals can destroy, not for any special reason, but just because.  Volunteers can get tired and gardens can be messy.

What if gardens aren’t maintained?  Will having a community garden bring too many people into my quiet neighborhood?  What if my property value goes down?  What about those smells and those animals? Who’s in charge?  Whom do I complain to?  Why should it be in my neighborhood?  I think they’re a good idea, but isn’t there a better place?  Where is the water coming from?  Why should my tax dollars pay for this?  How many people are REALLY hungry? Our yards are big enough, why can’t people just grow their own gardens?  A community park is no place for a garden.  Where will the kids play? Why wasn’t there better communication, nobody asked me?

Are these people unreasonable?

Maybe a few, but mostly they are afraid of losing something.  To them, their fears are justifiable and very real.  This is where the mistakes were made.

Few people dispute that growing food is a good idea.  The key mistake was that organizers did not address those fears until it was too late.

On the other side, organizers and volunteers were likely as shocked and angry as I was.  I could hear people saying, “This is just NIMBYism,” (Not in my backyard), and there is an element of truth in that.  However, both sides feel hurt, disappointed, angry, misrepresented, and ironically both are as dug in as the plants that gardeners had hoped to plant. 

There will always be zealots on both sides of any argument; people so entrenched that no amount of logic will sway them.  Out of 10 people, there will likely be three zealots on both sides of the argument.  The real challenge is for the middle four in the middle that could go both ways.  Those four people are the ones that will tip the balance either for or against any proposal.  I am not suggesting that the zealots be abandoned, far from it.  Instead, to be successful, organizers need to appreciate the fears and passions on both sides.  Then after that step, each fear needs to be illuminated and addressed. 

The proponents of gardens need to plan and have backup plans to ensure that regardless of season, the gardens are a visual showcase for the community.  In our region, there are several very successful community gardens to use as examples.  By welcoming comments and not being defensive, the organizers can build trust for those middle four to any fears are being addressed.  Everyone needs to understand the garden cycle, there will be times of flowers and bounty, and there will be a time of decay and decomposition.

For those that don’t want to lose park space, it is important to realize most communities view community gardens as a legitimate “park.” When planning, care should be taken to locate the gardens in a space that is beneficial for plants and for other park uses.  One of the primary focuses for the first few years should be to gain the trust of the neighbors and to ensure their fears are not realized.

Birds, bees, and butterflies that are attracted to the community garden, as pollinators, will benefit any gardens and plants that the residents have as well.  Having open workshops available on the benefits of pollinators is a simple way to build trust and knowledge.   Other workshops can help educate volunteers and neighbors on composting and how to keep critters at bay.

The number of people coming into a neighborhood garden will be dependent on the size of the garden, a small garden will only have a few people, and a large garden will have more.  Invite those concerned neighbors to be part of the garden planning.  Start small, gardens like the plants that grow in them should start small and grow.  Gaining willing cooperation from neighbors is as important as anything that grows in the garden.  Organizers should plan for visitors and neighbors to visit and see what is being done.  Build benches and pathways so gardens can become destinations for neighbors.

The fear of smells and animals needs to be addressed.  Certain plants like cabbage have a unique scent and in a residential neighborhood, there are already critters in abundance.  Squirrels, deer, rabbits, mice, and other rodents are a reality.  The gardeners must appreciate those fears and demonstrate ways to manage the wildlife.  In the early years of the garden, plants like the previously mentioned cabbage can be avoided and perhaps introduced when anxiety levels decrease.   Compost, done properly has virtually no odor, and bins should be strategically located as not to draw attention or to dominate the view of the residents.

Providing parking and washrooms may not always be possible, but care can be taken by organizers to minimize disruption to existing parking by scheduling short shifts for volunteers to lessen the parking burden and as well the need for washroom faculties.

So many of these issues have to do with perspectives, whether it is the loss of privacy, the noise, the smells, the animals.  We cannot forget, done properly gardens can and do bring people together.  They help to build a sense of community.  They facilitate sharing of acquired knowledge and culture.  And, perhaps most importantly community gardens help vulnerable people.  Done properly they can’t be wrong. 

Just as importantly though, organizers need to provide the opportunity to enable people to express their fears.  Organizers need to acknowledge them, appreciate them, and then work with them to exorcise those fears before a shovel goes into the ground. 

Mistakes have been made.  However, trying to help people suffering from food insecurity isn’t wrong. 

Community gardens, like anything else, are not perfect.  In the past, the mistakes were not spending as much time addressing fear as what the organizers spent on planning their gardens and deciding what to grow.    

Properly organized community gardens produce a tremendous amount of local nutritious food.  They can bring neighborhoods together, knowledge can organically (literally) be shared between people who have lived there for generations and new residents who have come from thousands of miles away.  Reconciliation between First Nation people can be strengthened.  Students can gain important, lifelong skills as well as satisfy their community hours.  Food insecure people can volunteer and gain skills and experience with foods that were economically out of reach.

To succeed we have to learn from the mistakes that we have made, empathize, and not be defensive to the fears of the people in whose backyard the community garden exists.

Paul.