Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
If the garden is truly to be a reflection of the community, then communication has to be a two-way
street. As mentioned previously, people don't like surprises or being left out. They also need to feel their
opinions matter. This is where leadership and organizing really come into play.
There are two types of listening: listening in order to reply and listening in order to understand. If a
member presents an issue, and, as you listen, you are merely formulating a rebuttal in your head, you're
not really listening. If you're listening to understand, you might not have an answer, and you can tell
your fellow member that. By providing a place where people can air their views and really be heard,
you're building an environment of respect.
I've found that one of the most powerful answers to a question I cannot answer is, “I don't know.
What do you think?” People are so smart! Often folks who come up with questions already have a good
answer—or the start of a good answer. Empower them to solve problems or to engage others in the
solution.
Keep Agreements
Deadlines, to-dos, action items—whatever you want to call your commitments, it usually means that
someone is supposed to do something by a date, or before someone else can do his or her part. One of
the toughest things for a community to manage is people doing what they promise to do. As a leader of
the organization, you need to set a good example in this area and encourage others to do the same.
When to Put the Smack Down
The act of talking about stuff feels good. Making spreadsheets, talking about stuff some more, planning
to plan—all of these engage people. But it is possible to talk things into the ground without anything
getting accomplished. This is when death by committee becomes a threat, and someone has to jump
in and move things along. Deadlines can help, but someone—either you or another team leader—may
need to hold people accountable and get things rolling again.
Practice What You Preach
Whatever the group agrees to, you as a leader and community member need to respect those wishes and
comply with them. Being a leader does not give you special privileges—at least not in a highly func-
tioning community setting. The rules apply to everyone. Period. You need to set a good example in your
words and actions.
PARTNERSHIPS MAY COME IN SURPRISING PACKAGES
You will be amazed by the organizations or businesses in your community that can be effective part-
ners. There are the obvious ones—hardware or lumber stores, garden centers, and community organiza-
tions—but sometimes partners might surface in unexpected places.
In Indianapolis, a local group, Urban Patch, created the OASIS program to address their food access
issue in a unique way. OASIS partnered with the Fall Creek Gardens Urban Growers Resource Center
to focus on food availability and environmental justice.
The garden, in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood, is located in a food desert—an area lacking
accessibility to fresh, affordable, nutritious food—and the community was suffering. Most of the gro-
cery stores in the neighborhood had moved out and dollar stores had moved in. Instead of fighting the
trend, Urban Patch and the dollar stores in the community realized they had a common goal.
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