RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
The City of Columbus and Franklin County jointly announced a new grant opportunity today that allows nonprofit organizations to apply for funding to help manage both new and existing community garden projects.
“This grant fund will support and encourage community gardens in our local neighborhoods and foster an environment of healthy living for children,” said Commissioner Marilyn Brown. “If families have access to grow their own fruits and vegetables at a low cost, they are more likely to put them on their dinner table.”
The types of eligible community gardens included can be dedicated to growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and other greenery and can be located in urban, suburban or rural areas. To apply for the grant, the applicant must be registered as a 501c3 and located within the City of Columbus or qualifying areas of Franklin County. The grants will be awarded in amounts of up to $4,000.
“Community gardens promote healthy lifestyles by providing fresh food for families, encourage engagement among residents of all ages, create green jobs in an improving economy and increase the overall pride in a neighborhood,” said Columbus City Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson, chair of the Finance Committee.
To apply for the grant, visit ColumbusFoundation.org/Grants/. Applications are due by Friday April 1st.
If you’re hoping for a plot at Gantz Park, the application form went up today! http://bit.ly/dSa7SE
It would probably be a good idea to get the Ohio State Extension Service involved to educate people how to grow food safely. When locating an urban garden it would be best to avoid any brownfield sites, at least until they are cleaned up.
These grants are a great idea and will come in handy for community gardens. Now I hope the city will make more of a commitment to using some of these blighted properties in our poorer neighborhoods as community gardens. Gardens are a great way to bring the people of a neighborhood together to help curb violence and crime, they beautify the area, and the fresh veggies are always needed.
Sounds excellent!
This is a great idea. I just hope this can be done without massive gentrification like other similar projects have caused in other areas.
What other areas have seen massive gentrification due to community gardens?
What about rooftop gardens?
I’m wondering if the grant would support a garden effort on an apt/condo building roof. The application only references “any piece of land.” A rooftop garden could obviously only be tended by tenants but the bounty could be shared with the surrounding community via curbside table, shelter donations, etc.
Walker, not specifically gardens but overall improvement efforts. If you make a neighborhood look good property values go up and more affluent people buy the houses. That is itself isn’t a bad thing but when all the lower-income residents cannot afford to stay it becomes a problem. The only reason I really was thinking that is because I’m working on a planning project where gentrification is an issue so it’s at the front of my mind. Feel free to ignore haha.
But I think this is an awesome idea. Gardens are a great way to build community which is important to create self-working anti-crime efforts and meaningful growth.
Gotcha. I had never heard of community gardens and access to fresh foods blamed as a cause for gentrification, so that was new to me. ;)
The topic of displacement is an interesting one, and I think it’s something that can be largely avoided for many Columbus neighborhoods that need improvement. Most of our inner city neighborhoods have a reduced population compared to their golden years, so there’s an opportunity for adding new residents into vacant homes without directly displacing anyone.
But anyway, that’s a whole other conversation. ;) Would love to hear more about your planning project.
Hopefully our Franklnton Gardens will get a piece of the pie! They’re doing great work on all fronts – food, community, and beautification.
I think the issue of displacement is interesting and an important consideration but has some caveats. There are some people that I prefer to displace and do not frankly care where they go: thugs, dealers, and the like.
That said, the biggest problem with some of the new developments is in neighborhoods like Franklinton is that they currently focus on single-family housing (because that is where the money is) while many of my poorer neighbors are not prepared (skills or financially) to be home owners. A lack of good apartments may eventually cause them to move. If we want to avoid displacement and “lift” neighborhoods, we need to have good multifamily housing and eliminate slumlords.
Community gardens are great!!. Here in Ganthers Place we are
working on our second Park. Our first Park has been a great
asset to our Community. In our second park/garden we will have
raised garden beds, a stage for community plays and of course many
flowers to add color. Community grants are great, they have helped this community immensely!!!