Leadership in the Garden ‌best practices and lessons learned from Gateway Greening’s 26 years of community gardening experience
Welcome & Introductions Hannah Reinhart Community Development Coordinator Hannah@gatewaygreening.org 588-9600x28 James Anderson Community Garden Coordinator James@gatewaygreening.org 588-9600x30 Matt Even Community Garden Outreach VISTA Matt@gatewaygreening.org 588-9600x29
Today’s Workshop Purpose: •Prepare for possible challenges so that they can be properly addressed & ensure a rewarding gardening experience •Share best practices and local resources •Network with other gardeners •Goal to have an interactive session (however on topic) •Ask questions and be prepared to be called on to share your experiences!
Challenges & Solutions
It’s one thing to put a plant in the ground and quite another to keep it growing.
Access to water • Ask a neighbor • Rainwater collection
(http://www.thegreencen ter.org/rdp)
• Fire hydrant • City officials—It never hurts to ask!
Theft & vandalism • Have a strong presence at the garden • Get to know your garden’s immediate neighbors • Signage—Make a name for yourself & invite others by posting workdays! • Fencing—Costly but effective • Natural fencing—Think poky! • Grow more food more strategically
Membership, morale & recruitment • Flyers, door-to-door community surveys & publicity events • Websites & social media • • •
http://sites.google.com/site/bu1035communitygarden/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Block-Unit-1035Community-Garden/155925604468123 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000005069 35373#!/pages/13th-Street-CommunityGarden/126677209434?v=wall&ref=ts
• Community outreach to:
Schools & youth programs Churches Local businesses Neighborhood Assoc. One time, big impact volunteer groups – Civic leaders/NSOs – Libraries – – – – –
Recruitment Don Strohmeyer and The Garden of Courage gardeners in the College Hill neighborhood went door-to-door promoting the garden. Community Surveys It is very hard to get news about your community garden out to local residents. A method found effective for churches to learn more about their neighbors and to introduce church services is also being used by church/public school partnerships. A community survey will also help you to find what the neighborhood needs, and give them a chance to ask about your garden. Most gardens could use more helping hands. The Garden Of Courage in the College Hill area needs help and we plan to conduct interviews with area residents this season. The most important aspect of the survey process is to not make them feel you are asking for anything but their views on the garden, that you need their advice. Always work in teams, one asking for the neighbor’s views and the second writing down their response. Print out a description of your garden, location, work hours, location, and any contact methods. Introduce yourselves by name and garden, presenting them with the information on your garden for them to look at later. After introducing yourself: ask them if they have a minute, that you need their views on a community garden. Keep their address and at the end of the interview ask them if they would like to receive information about the garden and any meetings you might have. Then ask for their name, phone number and e-mail address. Keep records of your visits so that follow-ups can be made. Set dates to survey every so often and keep records of your visits. Keep the survey questions down to no more than five: How long have you lived in the neighborhood? Have you heard anything about the garden? Would you enjoy fresh produce from the garden? Do you have any experience gardening?
Garden of Courage Survey College Hill Door-to-Door Survey Address __________________________________________________________________ _ No one home_______________ visit_____________
House vacant__________ DATE of
Name ______________________________ Phone and or e-mail _______________ Years in area___________ Know about the garden__________________ Interested in fresh produce? ____________________________________ Any Garden experience? _______________________________________ Other notes: (garden noticed, dog warning, fence, etc.)
Management & maintenance • Develop and enforce garden guidelines • Share the work load! • Establish a garden waiting list • Rethink the garden paradigm
Gardener Guidelines • • • • • • • •
Application Membership Fee Plot Maintenance Garden Maintenance Planting Restrictions End of Season Composting Materials and Tools
• • • • • • •
Pesticides Other people’s plots Water Pets and Children Alcohol and Drugs Unwanted Activities Violation of Garden Rules
FAQs that guidelines might cover • How much does it cost to garden here? • What kinds of tools, equipment and supplies are available at the garden? • Can I leave a sprinkler or soaker hose “on” if I am not at the garden? • What do I have to do to stay in good standing with the garden? • Can I bring fruit and vegetable scraps from home to compost in the bins at the garden?
FAQs that guidelines might cover How are plot sizes determined? How many plots can I get? Is this an organic garden? Who do I contact for gardening advice? How much time should I expect to spend at the garden? • What should I do if I experience or see theft or vandalism? • What should I do if I am threatened or harassed at the garden? • • • • •
Gardener Application • Amendment to the guidelines including: – Basic contact information – Sign up for garden job/crew – Procedure for dealing with violations – Photo permission – Phone and email list permission – Hold harmless clause – Both leader and member retain copies
Community Garden Job Descriptions • • • • • • • •
Garden Co-Leaders Plot Coordinator Grounds Crew Maintenance Crew Supply Crew Composting Crew Events Crew Treasurer
• Communications Crew • Outreach and Community Relations • Horticulture Advisors • Monitors • Security • Translation • Leadership Team
Job Descriptions Example
Contact List for Garden Jobs • • • •
Job Name(s) Phone Email
• • • •
Name Phone Email Plot #
Garden Roster
Garden Map
Fundraising • Bed fees • Events • Sponsorship by Neighborhood Assoc. or Business Assoc. • Grants, local and national • In-kind donations • Community-based funds through community development block funds, neighborhood & business assoc, and garden clubs.
Benefits of Community Gardening Preaching to the choir, but important to articulate for fundraising and publicity
• Food production and access • Nutrition • Exercise • Mental health • Community • Environment • Education • Youth • Income • Crime prevention • Property values
GGI research experiences • Whitmire Study – Examined several quality of life indicators related to economic development and neighborhood stability using 1990 and 2000 census data – Found outstanding improvements in 54 community garden areas within a 0.3-mile radius of a CG as compared to the census tracts in which they reside
Whitmire study findings • Within the immediate garden areas: – People are willing to spend more on rent. – Home values and mortgage costs increased. – Median household income increased dramatically. – Population loss decreased. – Rate of owner occupied housing increased. – Percentage of renters paying 19% or less of their income as rent increased.
Communicating your Impact: A Case Study
• Established March, 2009
Partners • Gateway Greening • UMSL’s Students of Service • City of Normandy • Normandy School District • River Des Peres Watershed Coalition • Operation Food Search
“Brand” Elements •
Logo: Signage in visible area, Letterhead, Business cards, Buttons, Facebook, Flyers
•
Facebook/Web: Use regularly; Create events; Upload photos; Encourage “friends” to post; Create a blog or become a blog item; Always bring it up in conversation; It’s FREE, but telling your story requires TIME!
•
Voice mailbox: Use Voice Mail as an interactive tool; Keep it fresh; Encourage callers to leave a message; Have multiple email address lists; Make sure you have control of sent emails; Regularly maintain address book; Pass along pertinent info.
•
Events: Make sure they’re well done; Have sign-in sheets; Advertise @ the garden; Advertise on Facebook, via email and voice mail; Clean up (very important); Think “kid friendly.”
“Brand” Elements, cont. • Farmers’ Market: Great opportunity to get exposure, Sign-up for community booth, Provide take away literature, Initiate conversations, Provide a unique food/item, Once or twice a season • Face-To-Face interaction: The most important communication tool; Always have talking points ready; Make sure all leaders are on the same page; Promote, and know when to back-off; Most Wayside members joined after a casual conversation
Documentation! • Wayside reported about 1,700 pounds harvested each of past two years! • Weigh and record all harvests—every jalapeno adds up! • You cannot promote your successes if they are not documented. • May 21 weigh station design workshop at Bell
How Can We Help Promote YOU? As an organization, Gateway Greening is committed to the success of your garden. • Trainings and workshops highlighting your successes • Refer the media for interviews and photo requests • Promote events through electronic channels • Feature your garden in Urban Gardening newsletter • Post good news, events, photos and other highlights on Facebook and Twitter • Promote your videos through the Gateway Greening YouTube channel • Glad to help you setup up webpage, Facebook, Blog, etc. Just ask! • Facilitate partnership development • We can’t help if you don’t ask! 2/7/11
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Activity http://www.abcdinstitute.org/ The underlying principle about asset mapping is that we build community on capacity already in place—in individuals, in local associations and in connections to the institutions in our society. Instead of looking for “gaps” or “needs,” and expecting help from the outside, we ask, “Who in our own community can help us? What is going on here that we can enhance?” Successful community building depends on both: • Building a belief in the capacities of local people, and • Mobilizing their capacities to produce concrete outcomes
Brainstorm a list of people, organizations, and systems who currently have a special interest or should have a special interest in the activities and accomplishments of your project. For each individual/group listed, identify (from their perspective) the key benefit of involving them in your project as early as possible. Partners: Current & Pontential
What’s in it for Them?
Service learning Local community college opportunities for students
Rosie’s Garden Shop
Public Library
Customer outreach; publicity
Community engagement; support of civic mission
Key Benefit to Garden
Student volunteers
horticulture knowledge, donations, sponsorship
meeting space
1. On a large sheet of paper, draw a circle in the middle and write “Community Garden Project� inside. 2. On the outside edges of the paper write the names of the partners or potential partners your group identified and draw a box around each of them. 3. Brainstorm ways that each partner can help a community garden. For example, the police department could be a potential partner that might be willing to include the garden site in its neighborhood check route or to donate funds from the local police athletic league fund. 4. Write above an arrow connecting each partner to the community garden box the way you envision their involvement. 5. Brainstorm what the garden can offer each partner. For example, the garden could be an alternative to violence for young people in the neighborhood. 6. Write these comments on an arrow that goes from the community garden circle to each partner box.
Leadership and Social Styles • The Director or “Driver” (in charge, direct, efficient) • The Relator or “Amiable” (needs people, consensus) • The Socializer or “Expressive” (the visionary cheerleader) • The Thinker or “Analytical” (focus on process and planning)
Take Home Message • There are different personality types, & people hear things and approach situations in divergent ways. • You cannot change others, but you can change yourself and your reaction to others. Barriers to understanding: -Failure to listen effectively & misinterpretation of words -Poor or incorrect word or language usage -Failure to read non-verbal signals (55% communication is visual, 38% is tonal, only 7% actually content) -Failure to clarify or ask questions (paraphrase, “what I hear you saying is…”)
When you Assume… • Begin partnerships acknowledging that others do NOT necessary understand or share your goals and intentions. • Be crystal clear from the get-go of what your goals are (can help prevent conflicts down the road)
Conflict Resolution— Why Bother? • The problem will not go away, it will get worse. • Will affect morale • Venting to yourself or others will not help • Addressing conflict can lead to: – – – –
Growth and new ideas Personal development Relief and morale Stronger team, productivity
Basic Conflict Resolution Practices Preparation • Analyze the problem, prepare for resistance, be consistent • Document the performance gap • Identify what needs to be accomplished • Prepare to stay inbounds of what you set out to discuss
The Discussion • Don’t delay (except when tempers are high) • Let them vent • Agree there is a problem • Clarify expectations and consequences • Obtain mutual commitment • Agree on a tracking method and minideadlines • BE RESPECTFUL
Tell the Truth Fast • State the purpose or your intention in having the discussion • The events and circumstances creating the need for the discussion. • The impact of the events and circumstances on others.
Prevent Conflict through Delegation • Delegate things that: – Can be done better (with special skills) – Someone can do instead of you (and develop themselves) – Can be done at less cost (time is money) – Can be done more efficiently
Why don’t we delegate? • I can do it better myself (and want the satisfaction) • They might make a mistake • I might lose control or feel threatened by delegating • Get over it!
How to Conduct a Meeting Elements of a wellplanned meeting: - Set clear goals for the meeting - Be selective about choosing a meeting site - Don’t forget about childcare or other supports - Choose a convenient time - Schedule meetings regularly - Set up the room before hand - Actively recruit members
A Standard Agenda An agenda is a tool to keep everyone on the same page and to get everyone’s issues addressed in a fair and effective way. It is a way to bring together different items in an organized manner that is manageable. It is important to provide the opportunity for everyone to add to and adjust the agenda before and at the beginning of a meeting. In regular meetings, a simple standard agenda such as the following can be used:
• • • • • • •
Check-in Schedule and announcements Appreciations Agenda review Agenda Next steps Evaluation
Problem-Solving Breakout Time!
Before
After
MO Resources • Gardeners’ Welcome Packet and Community Garden Toolkit—available electronically at http://extension.missouri.edu/publications or by emailing GGI staff – Tools for creating garden roles and guidelines • Contact Bill McKelvey with questions or suggestions at McKelveyWA@missouri.edu or 573-882-3273