Re: selling produce from gardens

D* H* M* S*

The Community Garden Project is a program of Bloomington Parks and
Recreation in Bloomington, IN.  The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market
is also a Bloomington Parks and Recreation program.  We allow participants
in the Community Garden Project to sell at the Market and keep the
profits, even though the garden is in a city park and we provide land,
water, soil amendments, fertilizer, and seeds.  The purpose is to teach
organic market gardening to low-income families.  Because of the
educational nature of the project, we feel there is no conflict of
interest in allowing the sales.

Michael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
H. Michael Simmons, Ph.D.
Director
Community Garden Project
Bloomington Parks and Recreation
(812) 349-3737
 On Thu, 26 Apr 2001 SoleilPaz@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 04/26/2001 2:31:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> lpreschelquinn@trinitycounty.org writes:
>
>
> > I am wondering about selling things from our community gardens.  We have 2
> > small gardens that are part of a food security project.  We distribute the
> > food to the food banks but this year we made plots available to families.
> > Some folks would like to try selling at the farmer's markets.  Would it be
> > unfair competition since our lans and water is an in-kind donation?
> > Any comments?
> >
>
> Hi Lisa,
>
>      Your question exactly mirrors mine. We have no site yet, but is it an
> issue if some CG harvested produce would be sold? As we enter into
> negotiations with our Parks & Rec Dept, it may be.
>      Personally, one of the reasons I want a CG in our community is to
> support families in becoming self sufficient and self reliant. Growing one's
> own food and selling the rest is an excellent way to supplement incomes. A
> great teaching tool for children as well, if this were to be a school
> project. Also, I feel it important to support small farmers, the farmer's
> markets, and sustainable living in general. Community Gardening can do all
> this, and more. In fact, I think of CGing as a possible springboard for
> anyone who eventually wants to market garden, just to try it out.
>      I'm wondering if there needs to be more stringent rules/controls on
> participants if there is gardening for profit going on in a CG. For example,
> are there problems with theft?
>      Also, what are the specifics? If, say I grew straw flowers in my plot,
> then used them for crafts which I then sold at a Christmas Bazaar for my own
> profit, would that count?
>      I know I've oversimplified this issue. But ya gotta start somewhere....
> --Soleil
>
> Soleil Paz Tranquilli
> Elk Grove, CA 95624
>
> "The cure for anything is saltwater: Sweat, tears or the sea."   Isak Dinesen
>
>  <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/egcgonline/";>Click here: The Elk Grove Community Garden</A>
> http://www.geocities.com/egcgonline/
>
> <A HREF="http://soleilsgarden.homestead.com/index.html";>Click here: Soleilsgarden</A>
> http://soleilsgarden.homestead.com/index.html
>

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