Roots of Change Community Garden

the problem:

The San Antonio East Side neighborhood is plagued with issues of poverty, low-wages, environmental contamination and few positive activities for youth. The area lacks resources like libraries, recreational facilities, grocery stores or banks.

vital stats:

people impacted:

0

people involved:

0

why it's important:

The project is open to everyone is the community, but targets involvement from young people. Outreach will be done bilingually through fliers, the City Council district, neighborhoods associations, churches, schools, and after school programs.

Goals:
Provide healthful, organic fruits and vegetables to the East Side Community for no or low cost
Serve as an educational center for youth and community members to learn about urban gardening.
Provide seedlings for home gardens to increase food security
Create a sense of community ownership of the garden through work days and events

We are the key to creating a better life and without our roots that is impossible.

the plan of action:

The project will start a sustainable community garden where members can bring home the harvest and, eventually, seedlings to start their own home garden. It will model different techniques like water catchment, drip irrigation, composting, integrated pest management and raised beds. The garden will also function as a place to build community in this low-income neighborhood, where youth and residents can come together to learn, organize, and get empowered to engage in development issues in the neighborhood.

how you can get involved:

n/a

project updates:

06/24/2009

11/02/07-The Roots of Change Community garden has grown in size and in numbers. Recently the Youth Leadership Organization has been using the garden as an example to start an organic garden in a high school where many of the members attend. Through the use of popular education, the project has taught many community residents the importance of food sovereignty. Diana credits much of the success of the garden to coverage by the local media.

So far, some major highlights of this project include the installation of an irrigation system in the garden and the garden’s ability to be a teaching tool for empowering the community.

Comments

Produce, success, and community, those are three great crops that deserve cultivation. Your program sounds exceptionally well planned and I like the name.

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