Community Gardening

Community gardens are common plots of land that people can come together and use as a place to grow vegetables or flowers. The history of gardening in the United States is long and has gone through many changes of the years. For example, during WWII people were encouraged to plant "victory gardens" which were vegetable gardens that could help families sustain themselves without detracting from resources that could be devoted to the war effort. Today people grow gardens for many different reasons. Community gardens, just like private gardens, can serve many different purposes. The video below outlines several different types of community gardens.

In some places community gardens can be used to beautify the area. Other community gardens might serve as a way to bring people together. One intriguing modern use for community gardens is to provide nutritious foods in neighborhoods that might not otherwise have access to them. There are areas in the United States known as food deserts where people simply do not have access to fresh healthy food. Most of these areas are severely impoverished. Community gardens provide an alternative solution that offers nutritious foods and a chance to involve and strengthen the community.

Macon is one city which has begun to explore the possibilities of community gardens. For those who are interested in learning more, there is a community garden right next to Mercer's campus at the Methodist on Montpelier.