Adopt-A-Community Garden

In 2005, Park Pride began work with East Atlanta residents to create a Park Vision for Brownwood Park. Kat West, a community garden enthusiast, spearheaded the effort to include a community garden in the Vision. Brownwood got its community garden, but the City still lacked a formal structure for building community gardens in its public parks.

Working with Park Pride, Georgia Organics, and the Atlanta Food Bank, Kat founded the Atlanta Community Gardens Coalition (ACGC) to help residents across Atlanta build community gardens in their parks. When Kat moved to Portland, Oregon, Park Pride took over her work to create a community garden program for our parks.

Legislation authorizing the program received an enthusiastic response at City Council, where Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd exclaimed that she would be the first to create a community garden under the new program. On Monday, July 16, Council unanimously passed the legislation; Mayor Franklin signed the ordinance into law.

Collier Heights/Adamsville neighborhood residents also already exploring the creation of a garden in their park. Thanks to the work of Kat, the ACGC, the Parks Department and City Council (and Park Pride), you can now enjoy the benefits of a community garden in your park.

Community gardens are economical, practical and enjoyable sites that contribute to community building while producing friendships, flowers and food.

They:

• * Make parks safer by getting more people – and eyes – in the park
• *Allow residents to grow healthy food and commune with nature
• * Build community by getting neighbors together in their park
• * Improve health by encouraging physical activity
• * Revitalize and reclaim public spaces that may have been subject to vandalism and illegal activities

To learn more about the Community Garden program, contact Gwen Burson at 404-817-7981.