Why Are So Many People Starting to Use Community Gardens?

Many people are starting to use community gardens because of the many  benefits – aside from providing enjoyment for those who might not have space for a personal garden, it’s also a money-wise, health-wise way to grow food and to increase community bonding.

A community garden is a very loosely defined term; it basically means any plot of land that is maintained by a group of people. This can be everything from the residents of a building all helping with a flower garden to beautify their shared lawn, to a neighborhood that grows vegetables and shares them among all of the households.

People are beginning to use community gardens because they recognize the benefits of:

• Being able to grow their own food locally
• Having the opportunity to bond with friends and neighbors

So, why have community gardens become so popular these days?

• Prices for produce are increasing.
• Chemicals on commercially-grown foods are getting nastier.
• Pollution is accumulating due to trucks and planes shipping non-local product across the country, or even from other countries.

• Harvesting your own pure, local food (and not having to pay for it) in exchange for some time out in the sun and relaxing labor is more than worth it.
• Many people are realizing how important the simple bonding of relationships can be as lives are becoming more hectic and the world is becoming more of a dangerous place.

Growing Food in Community Gardens

Community vegetable gardens provide the residents and those taking advantage of the garden with fresh, locally-grown produce that’s sustainable, free, and absent any harmful chemicals. With everyone contributing, it’s sometimes astounding at the volume of food that can actually be produced in a community garden. Some people may consider selling their produce from this sustainable resource at local farmers’ markets to raise money for a community cause.

Building Connections in Community Gardens

A community working together, whether the goal is to beautify their property or to provide food, creates a sense of warmth and a connection between neighbors that is of the utmost importance.

While we all have varying degrees of friendship with those who live around us, those people are, in a way, part of your home as much as the streets and the buildings themselves. It’s important to know them and be able to find common ground between you; a community that relies upon itself is one full of good energy and positivity.

It’s said that every situation is hung on a pendulum: first it goes to one extreme, and then it swings back to the other. As people tire of electronic communication and stimulation, and begin looking for meaning in their lives, they are increasingly turning back to the simple process of gardening – and sharing that process with those around them.