Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
garden. Though many of the people who live in the area are from South Asia, most of the participating seni-
ors come from farther afield to be part of their own cultural community.
Is there an educational mandate for the garden?
The educational mandate focuses on teaching healthy eating for older adults. Volunteers also teach the seni-
ors how to build bird and pollinator houses. For both economic and educational reasons, the facilitators built
a seed-starting setup in the house. Here the senior gardeners learn how to start seeds for favorite vegetables
that are an integral part of their food traditions—vegetables such as tomatoes, melons, eggplant, and peppers,
among others, as well as herbs unique to South Asian cooking.
Is the garden genesis driven by some other need, example, or force?
The Sahara Seniors Garden members celebrate their South Asian heritage through gardening. As a group
they talk about food, patience, communication, and what it means to be a community. One of the garden
founders and a facilitator, Carolyn, realized how much the seniors have to give back, and how happy the
gardeners are when someone shows an interest. These garden members, along with the others in the partner-
ship, encourage diverse cultural groups to interact and show an interest in one another, fostering the
community-building process.
GROWING TOGETHER COMMUNITY GARDENS, FARGO, NORTH
DAKOTA
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the three Growing Together gardens in Fargo, North Dakota, is to help refugees, bring
churches together, eat well, and create community.
Are any existing organizations sponsoring or starting the garden? Do their missions need to be part of
how the garden is developed?
Lutheran Social Services does resettlement of refugees in the United States. In 2006, their local church
wanted to find a way to work on church property with the many refugees arriving in their community. The
original garden land was bought by the church in Fargo. The Community Homes Garden, one of Growing
Together's three gardens, is on city property owned by the park district. There they have a lease and pay no
rent.
Are funders sponsoring the garden? Do the funds dictate the garden mission in any way?
All the land is donated and a local farmer tills the soil. The City of Fargo donates compost to augment the
soil. Many donations to fund the gardens come through the Methodist and Lutheran churches, and the com-
munity at large is also supportive. Some funds come from employees of a local bank who receive $1,000
every year to give away. There is also support from local businesses, including the donation of boxes for
packing produce. The garden leaders also get donation and funding results from putting a note in bulletins at
the churches when they need supplies.
Does the garden location or mission influence the build?
The church garden is in a neighborhood where many of the refugees settled, and being able to walk to the
church garden was important for these new Americans. The size of the Community Homes Garden (100 by
100 feet) on city property enabled the founders to work with the refugees to grow vegetables in a much larger
