Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The garden was funded by the gardeners themselves and donations from local businesses, so technically no
funders. But this scenario did dictate that the program focus on being volunteer run since there were no funds
to pay anyone. While the organization has grown, and hired one staff person to date (to manage volunteers!),
the heart of the program is about people using what they have (empty city lots) to collectively learn a skill
that will impact their families, neighborhoods, and the food system.
Does the garden mission or location influence the build?
Yes, the mission dictated how the garden was set up. The original Peterson Garden Project garden (and all
subsequent gardens), are highly dependent on the mission for their construction. Considerations about the
type of gardeners (busy city dwellers), the experience level (many with no experience), and the goal of teach-
ing as many people as possible dictated how the garden was set up. This initial framework has provided a
template for all subsequent gardens. And a surprising discovery that wasn't expected with the first garden
was that this style, when replicated as closely as possible, allows for community garden development on a
massive scale. Deviating from the plan has led to complexities that have become exponential and difficult to
manage.
Does the garden location influence the mission?
Yes, the gardens are in high-density urban neighborhoods where people don't have the opportunity or room
to grow their own food or learn how to do so.
Who is the food being grown for?
Food is grown by the participants for their own individual or family use. A program within each garden,
called Grow2Give, works with volunteers to grow food for donation to food pantries located near the gar-
dens.
Who are the gardeners?
The program is open to anyone who wants to become a member.
Does the neighborhood itself have any impact on the mission?
Yes. The original garden neighborhood was high density, so most participants had never had the chance to
grow food before. This meant that people had to be taught how to grow their own food.
Is there an educational mandate for the garden?
Because so many Chicagoans had never had a place to grow food before, teaching this lifelong skill became
the mission of the garden (and the organization that grew out of it). City land is very expensive and hard to
procure, so the leadership team decided early on to put their energies into teaching as many people as pos-
sible, using unpurchased sites, rather than doing capital campaigns to buy land for a single long-term garden.
In other words, focusing on long-term gardeners vs. long-term gardens.
Is the garden genesis driven by some other need, example or force?
The original garden was on the site of a victory garden during World War II. The history of the spot seemed a
perfect background for recruiting a new generation of gardeners who were interested in growing food.
SAHARA SENIORS GARDEN, BRAMPTON, ONTARIO, CANADA
MISSION STATEMENT
