Community garden project needs a leader to flourish

Some who don’t have land to grow their own crops would be able to enjoy gardening if a community garden were established.

Community gardens are free to users and so are the crops. But like any good cause, this one needs an advocate. Of course, advocacy alone doesn’t accomplish much without a leader — especially one with a green thumb.

 Locally, residents without access to land would like to garden, too. The city, county, school district, recreation commission and perhaps others have available land and have discussed developing a community garden. So what is needed to bring these entities together?

 A leader.

 If someone would step forward to solicit land, establish policies and develop a timeline, many of the other details would start to fall into place.

In other communities, such organizations as cities, recreation commissions and extension services have established similar programs. However, with reduced manpower and financial resources because of the struggling economy, many of those entities don’t have a spare hand or dollar to put toward much other than day-to-day activities.

 Likely candidates to coordinate a community garden include the extension service, garden clubs, horticultural groups, 4-H groups and others.

 As soon as a community garden advocate steps forward to lead the charge for a community garden, more people — including experienced gardeners — also would step forward to assist so more people could enjoy the pleasures, fun and therapeutic value of gardening. Obviously, fun isn’t the only reason to garden. Growing and eating healthy fruits and vegetables are the real benefit and well worth the investment of time and toil.

 Consider this plea a planting of the seeds of an idea. We need a leader to step forward so the community can yield a bushel of bountiful crops from its own community garden in the future.